Engaging with Israel - Leaders and Visionaries for the 21st Century

An Israel Symposium

Israel's future success rests in its ability to create unique solutions to the fundamental questions of the relationship between religion and state, the role of a substantial Arab minority in a Jewish state, and the possible framing of a constitution. The nation must reconcile values and goals that often seem irreconcilable. This day-long symposium, featuring a variety of leaders and visionaries from Israel and the Diaspora, provides a forum for broad dialogue within the Bay Area Jewish community about these issues and the role the Bay Area community can play in resolving them.

Keynote Speaker: Colette Avital, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.

Also Featuring:

• Eliezer Yaari, Israel Director of the New Israel Fund.
• Nidal Abed El Gafer, Legal advisor for SHATIL’s Mixed Cities Project in Lod.
• Israela Gratziani, Head of the Legal Department of Yedid, a community empowerment organization with offices throughout Israel.
• Gil Gan-Mor, a lawyer for Hamoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual, and an advisor to the Aguda, an LGBT organization. He is a new NIF Civil Liberties Law Fellow.
• Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg, SHATIL's Religious Pluralism Project Coordinator.

Sunday, September 10, 2006. 10 AM – 4:30 PM. at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center. Cost: General $40 | Student $18. To register, please call The New Israel Fund at (415) 543-5055. online registration

Presented by
The Israel Center of San Francisco, The New Israel Fund, the Taube Center for Jewish Life at the JCCSF, and the Constulate General of Israel in San Francisco

To Life! Festival

A premiere street festival showcasing Judaic and Israeli fine art, music, dancing and food.

Sunday, September 18, 2005. 11:00 AM- 6:00 PM. Califormia Ave., Palo Alto. Info: www.newbridges.org/ToLife, or cal 650.852.3553

RABIN MEMORIAL EVENTS

The Israel Center Hosting: Tenth Yahrzeit of Yitzhak Rabin z"l- Heroic Soldier, Visionary of Peace

KEY NOTE SPEAKER: Knesset Member Avshalom (Abu) Vilan

Led by Rabbi Sydney Mintz. Musical tribute by Marsha Attie & The Brandies Student Choir, led by Billie Krymolowsky

Saturday, November 5, 2005. 7:00 PM. Temple Emanu-El Main Sanctuary, 2 Lake St., San Francisco. https://www.israelcentersf.org, or call 415.512.6203

Avshalom "Abu" Vilan, co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Israeli peace movement, PEACE NOW, is a veteran Israeli peace activist, kibbutz manager and educator, as well as a former campaign director for the "Mapam" and "Meretz" parties. Vilan is a member of Knesset from Yachad party. Vilan served in a special unit of the Israeli defense forces before joining, with others reserve soldiers, in 1977 to found Israel's first active peace movement. He served Peace Now as press liaison, represented the organization at international colloquia and meetings with heads of state in Israel and abroad, and functioned as a key spokesperson for the movement. click for bio

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Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture

Jennifer Miller, author of Inheriting the Holy Land: An American's Search for Hope in the Middle East and a member of Seeds of Peace

Thursday, November 3, 2005. 7:30 PM. Location TBA. http://www.jfed.org, or call 510.839.2900

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Rabin Memorial Event by the Israeli House of the Israeli Consulate

Film screening and a short ceremony in presence of Consul General David Akov

Saturday, November 19, 2005. 8:00 PM. The Israeli House, Cubberley Community Center, Room H1, 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. Info: www.israelihouse.org, or call 415.844.7503

Shabbaton for Students

Talk, breath, kvetch, eat, and celebrate Israel at a Student Leadership Retreat

Friday, November 4 through Saturday, November 5. Walker Creek Ranch, 1700 Marshall, Petaluma Rd, Petaluma. Info: The Israel Center, or call 415.512.6203

Jewish Book Festival

San Francisco

On-site bookstore & author events. Savyon Liebrecht Nov. 6. (see Lectures & Literature)

Immerse yourself in the wealth of contemporary Jewish literature. The Second Annual San Francisco Jewish BookFest is a daylong celebration featuring more than 25 authors discussing all aspects of Jewish literature – from fiction and poetry to history and memoir. Perhaps because of their history, Jews have always seemed to me to be particularly clear-eyed about the world – about family, about politics, about the human struggle. What better time to share such wisdom. —Ethan Canin

Co-sponsored by A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, National Foundation for Jewish Culture and Congregation Sherith Israel .

San Francisco Jewish BookFest is funded by generous grants from the Koret Foundation Funds, the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, and Daniel Handler & Lisa Brown.

November 6, 2005 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM. At the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California @ Presidio, San Francisco. www.jccsf.org, or call 415.292.1200

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East Bay

Savyon Liebrecht Nov. 10: Topic: This Isn’t Golda’s Israel: How Israeli Women Writers Have Changed Their Nation.(see Lectures & Literature)

November 5-14, 2005. Contra Costa Jewish Community Center, 2071 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek. Info: www.jfed.org, or call 510.839.2900

Bible by the Bay

Over 20 workshops with prominent Bay Area scholars, clergy and master teachers concluded with dinner and an evening concert titled “The Bible in Song”.

Sunday, December 4, 2005. 1:00 - 7:00 PM. The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California @ Presidio, San Francisco. Info and registration: Lehrhaus Judaica www.Lehrhaus.org, or call 510.845.6420 x10

Jewish Summer Camps and Israel Programs Fair

Find out all about Summer camps and Israel programs for kids, teens and college students from reps and alumni

Sunday, January 29, 2006. 11:00 - 4:00. Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto.

Monday, January 30, 2006 . 5:00 - 9:00 PM. At the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California @ Presidio, San Francisco.

Click for more info, or call 415.512.6203

Community Tu B'Shvat Seder

Led by Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Director, Taube Center for Jewish Life. Featuring Jewish and Arab speakers from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.

Celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the new year for trees, with a seder: a ceremony with fruit, wine, song, teaching and meditation. A celebration of Jewish environmentalism and spirituality, the seder honors the trees we see in our world and the “Tree of Life” that upholds all the worlds. A light kosher meal and symbolic foods will be served.

Co-sponsored with Jewish National Fund, TZAVTA of the Israel Center, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Congregations Sherith Israel and Sha’ar Zahav, EcoJews of the Bay and San Francisco Hillel.

Sunday, February 12, 2006. 6:30 PM. Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California @ Presidio, San Francisco. $20.00 Member $25.00 Public (mention TZAVTA for a discount!). Info: www.jccsf.org , click to buy tickets, or call 415.292.1200 .

Finding Common Ground

Crossing borders for a peaceful and greener future in the Middle East

Breakfast and Conversation featuring Osama Souliman & Maya Negev, students the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.

Monday, February 13. 8:00- 9:30 am. Koret Boardroom, 121 Steuart Street, San Francisco. Breakfast will be provided. Co-Sponsorerd by the Israel Center.

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies has hosted over 400 students from around the world, including Israeli Jewish, Israeli Arab, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Tunisian, European and American students. By living and learning together, Arava Institute students learn to solve the most vexing issues related to co-existence and the environment - because nature knows no borders.

Rabbi Michael Cohen is a founding faculty member of The Arava Institute, where he works on Palestinian student recruitment, development, and other projects for the Arava Institute and its U.S. non-profit support organization, Arava Institute North America . He two classes: Genesis As a Key to Environmental Thought and Moses: A Study of Leadership and Environmental Wisdom.

Osama Suliman was born in Kuwait, and moved to Jordan after the beginning of the 1991 Gulf War. He received his BA in Economics from the University of Jordan in 2001. When asked why he chose to study at the Arava Institute, he explained "this year provides me with an opportunity to learn about local and global environmental issues, but more importantly, it provides me the rare opportunity to live and study in an Israeli community, which I love."

Maya Negev grew up in Jerusalem. She worked as a guide and counselor for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel before living in a field school for three years. She then traveled the world and finally settled in London, where she studied for her BA in literature, philosophy and journalism, at the University of London. Maya returned to Israel to pursue her MA degree in Environmental Studies. Her research topic is environmental literacy in a multicultural society.

Mothers For Peace Tour

Meet two mothers, one Arab, one Israeli, who have joined forces to fight for peace

Nonie Darwish (left) grew up in Gaza, the daughter of a "martyr" who organized and carried out operations to destroy Israel. She was encouraged to avenge his death by killing Jews.

Miri Eisen (right) recently completed service as an Israeli Defense Forces colonel where she was at the forefront of defending her people.

Both women are mothers of three children, and both share a common hope: a peaceful future where children can live free of violence and some day imagine a better tomorrow. More...

Wednesday, February 15, 12:00 p.m (lunch will be served). Westin St. Francis Hotel, 335 Powell Street. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and The Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties.

Click for more info and to RSVP

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Conference

Join join Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, in San Francisco for their Western USA Regional Conference, Building Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Uncertain Times.

The conference, featuring keynote speakers Stephen P. Cohen, founder and director of the Institute of Middle East Peace and Economic Development and leading figure in Tract Two negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, will combine opportunities for skill building and connecting with other activists in the region with issue-based programming, including 20 workshops and plenaries with other leading scholars and activists, including Dr. Stephen Zunes, Omar Dajani, Rachel Biale, Rabbi Graetz, and many more!

Saturday, February 18 - Sunday, February 19, 2006. at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Burlingame. (Saturday evening, all day Sunday). To register, go to www.btvshalom.org/. For more information, including work-study opportunities, email carinne@btvshalom.org, or call 212.366.1670.

Feast of Jewish Learning & Unity

"Hey Heeb!" Calling all young adult Jews, Yidn, Semites, and Members of The Tribe, Ages 21-45

Presented by the Bureau of Jewish Education

Invited: all young adults who span the spectrum from novice learners to Talmud s cholars, secular to Orthodox, to come together for an unforgettable event of study, shmoozing, illumination and intrigue.

The "Feast" will feature dynamic educators, professors, and rabbis leading interactive learning sessions on a variety of scintillating, subversive, saucy subjects on the theme of "Provocative Jewish Voices."

Kosher food, drinks, and musical entertainment provided by John Schott & Co.

Sunday, February 26. 4:20 pm - 9:20 pm. Free admission. At JCCSF: 3200 California Street @ Presidio in San Francisco. Info and Registration, or contact Mariana Roytman Schiffner at mroytman@bjesf.org, or 415-751-6983 ext. 132.

Co-presented with: Taube Center for Jewish Life at JCCSF

Co-sponsored by: Congregations Adath Israel, Emanu-El's Young Adult Community, Beth Sholom's YABS, Sha'ar Zahav, Sherith Israel; Israel Center's TZAVTA of SF-based JCF, Jewish Fashion Conspiracy, JewSchool, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, JF&CS' 79ers, Mission Minyan, New Israel Fund's New Generations, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Russian Young Adults Division of SF-based JCF, Schmaltz Brewing Co. He’Brew Beer, San Francisco Chabad, Second Saturday at the Cellar, SVARA, UCSF Jewish Students Association, Young Adults Division (YAD) of SF-based JCF, Young Leadership Division (YLD) of East Bay JCF.

Singing Be’Tzavta - Israeli Sing Along!

Featuring a special tribute to Shoshana Damari z”l - one of Israel’s iconic singers who recently passed away (click for bio)

Join us for an unforgettable night of Israeli Shira Betzibur - Sing Along to the very best of Israeli Songs.

Come take part in the everlasting Israeli tradition of drinking and singing together! Facilitated in Hebrew & English.

Lyrics in “Hebrish” will be provided as well as lots of wine!

Gil Melamud and Ya'acov Schneider will lead us in Israeli songs.

Saturday, March 18, 2006. 7:30pm. At Or Shalom. 1250 quintara st (at 21th), San Francisco. $5 Members & $10 Non-members. RSVP to Gil, gimano@gmail.com, 415-409-6976.

Our Judaism (Hayahadut Shelanu): Jewish Studies for Hebrew Speakers

The Israel Center of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and the Bureau of Jewish Education of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma are pleased to announce a learning opportunity for Hebrew speakers in a secular surrounding.

The series will include Hebrew text study and discussion. Texts will include quotes from various Jewish sources - from ancient scriptures to modern Israeli poetry.

The first five session series will focus on a number of stories from the book of Genesis and their implication on our lives and will be led by various educators, Rabbis and leaders from our Jewish community.

The series will convene on Tuesday nights at 8:00pm every two weeks at the office of the BJE in Los Altos.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006 (1st session). BJE Peninsula Learning Resource Center. 5150 El Camino Real, D-14, Los Altos, CA. Corner of El Camino Real / Rengstorff Ave (Los Altos Plaza) The total cost for the 5 session series is $50. RSVP to Shlomit Blum sblum@bjesf.org or (650) 938-1843 by March 28th 2006.

Lehrhaus Judaicas Winter 2006 Israel Culture Programming

All courses are listed on www.lehrhaus.org.

Lehrhaus Judaica's comprehensive modern Hebrew program
Taught by native Israeli Hebrew speakers, offers courses in San Francisco, the East Bay, Sonoma, and the Peninsulsa, with classes beginning in late January.

Discover Biblical Israel: In Class and at Home
It's one thing to study the Bible. It's another thing to live it! In this course, we'll explore the history and culture of Biblical Israel and tackle some fascinating questions: when was the Hebrew alphabet born? What was it like to live in a Biblical city? What's in the Dead Sea Scrolls? This vivid introduction to Biblical culture will include virtual tours of Jerusalem and other ancient cities, as well as digital video instruction from the "Heritage: Civilization and the Jews" DVD-ROM, the outstanding PBS program "The Kingdom of David," and other resources.

Discover Biblical Israel: In Class and at Home
It's one thing to study the Bible. It's another thing to live it! In this course, we'll explore the history and culture of Biblical Israel and tackle some fascinating questions: when was the Hebrew alphabet born? What was it like to live in a Biblical city? What's in the Dead Sea Scrolls? This vivid introduction to Biblical culture will include virtual tours of Jerusalem and other ancient cities, as well as digital video instruction from the "Heritage: Civilization and the Jews" DVD-ROM, the outstanding PBS program "The Kingdom of David," and other resources.

This course uses the new Lehrhaus 'hybrid' format, where students meet for the first and last sessions in a traditional classroom, but enjoy the intermediate sessions from the comfort of their own home computers, using a custom-made CD-ROM. Intermediate session student/teacher questions and discussion will be handled via email. Minimum computer requirements apply; call Lehrhaus at 510 845-6420 x10 for details.

5 sessions: Thursdays, 7:30-9:00 PM. February 16 - March 16. Tuition: $55/public; $45/members of San Francisco co-sponsors; $30/Dynamic Duos (ages 12-17, with a parent also enrolled in class). Site: Cong. Beth Sholom, 1301 Clement St. (at 14th Ave.), San Francisco. Directions/parking: (415) 221-8736

JEHON GRIST, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Lehrhaus Judaica. He earned his doctorate in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley, where he was a Regents' Fellow. He has conducted field research in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the Valley of the Queens in southern Egypt.

The Many Faces of Israel in Film
Israeli society and Israeli film have grown together over the last 50 years. As society influences film, so does film influence society. In this three section lecture we will explore how Israel has seen itself in all its facets through its cinema. We'll sample a number of film genres -- dramas, comedies, melodramas and cult movies -- focusing on Sephardic/Ashkenazic relations, the military, and the Arab-Israeli conflict and dialogue, as well as recent films that simply explore everyday lives and everyday issues. We will view clips from a number of landmark Israeli films, such as Sallah, Yana's Friends and Time of Favor.

2 sessions: Wednesdays, 7:30 - 9:30 PM, March 22 - March 29. Tuition: $40; $30/members of Peninsula co-sponsors. Site: Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. Directions/parking: (650) 813-9094 AND 3 sessions: Sundays, 4:00-5:30 PM. February 12 - March 5 No Class: 2/19/06.. Tuition: $35/public; $30/members of Sonoma co-sponsors; $25/Learning for Life (age 65+) and Dynamic Duos (ages 13-17, when accompanied by enrolled adult). Site: Cong. Beth Ami, 4676 Mayette Ave., Santa Rosa. Directions/parking: (707) 545-4334

DONNY INBAR is a doctoral student at GTU, specializing in Yiddish Theater. A graduate of The Drama Centre London, he has directed, written and translated Israeli theater, and he served as the Cultural Attaché at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.

Here I Am - Jewish Literature from Around the World
This course introduces great writing and great writers from 24 countries on 6 continents. The stories explore key themes that touch us all: alienation and reconciliation; joy against sadness; and individual vs. community needs. All these stories, whether by famous authors or exciting new writers, share common themes at the heart of our search for a genuinely Jewish identity in our time. But the stories also show special traits giving each a unique regional flavor, be it Latin, Israeli, European, or American. Join us as we travel the world to discover great Jewish stories.

5 sessions: Mondays, 7:00 - 8:30 PM. February 6 - March 16 No Class: 2/20. Tuition: $65; $55/members of Alameda co-sponsors; $50/Learning for Life. Site: BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. Directions/parking: (510) 848-0237.

ELAINE STARKMAN is a local writer of prose & poetry. She has also edited Without a Single Answer: Poems on Contemporary Israel, and authored Learning to Sit in Silence, a memoir of eldercare.

The Journey of Soviet Jewry
"A great moment in Jewish history" - these are the words of Elie Wiesel reflecting on the Soviet Jewry movement. Both inside and outside the Soviet Union courageous people lived the seemingly impossible dream of campaigning to change the policies of a totalitarian regime. Their bravery and determination resulted in the immigration of nearly 2,000,000 Jews to Israel, the United States and other countries. They also inspired a new era of religious freedom in Russia and the other states that succeeded the former Soviet Union.

In this five sessions course we will cover: The Early Efforts to Save the "Jews of Silence" (1917-1972). The Rise of Soviet Jewish Resistance & Renaissance (1967-1987). Support Groups in the Free World (1967-1989). Alliances with Human Rights Advocates and the American Government (1968-1988) and Post Glastnost Activities (1986-2005).

5 sessions: Wednesdays, 7:30 - 9:00 PM. April 26 - May 31 No Class: 5/10. Tuition: $60; $50 /members of Peninsula co-sponsors. Site: Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. Directions/parking: (650) 813-9094

PHIL SPIEGEL served on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jews from 1985 to 1995. Over the past three years he has done archival research and interviewed 150 former refuseniks, prisoners, activists and political leaders for a book on the history of the international Soviet Jewry movement.

Yom Ha'Shoa, Holocaust Memorial Day

A memorial service conducted by the Jewish and Israeli communities of the Peninsula .

Wednesday, April 5, 2006. Jewish Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Info: www.israelihouse.org, or call 415.844.7503

Yom Ha'Zikaron, Israel Memorial Day

Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. We gather to remember the heroes and heroines who gave the ultimate sacrifice for Jewish independence.

Palo Alto
The Consulate General of Israel will conduct the ceremony with the Israeli Scouts. In Hebrew
Monday, May 1, 2006. 8:00 PM. Palo Alto, location and time TBA. Info: 415.844.7503. www.israelihouse.org

San Francisco
Israel Center hosting: the Jewish community comes together in commemoration. In English.
Tuesday, May 2, 2006. 3:00 PM. Koeret Boardroom, at the Jewish Community Federation. 21 Steuart St., San Francisco.. Info: The Israel Center of the JCF 415.512.6203. www.israelcentersf.org.

A Taste of Israel

Have and Israeli dinner at Bistro V: enjoy a fusion of Sephardi, Mediterranean and East European (Yiddish) selections. All profits dedicated to Yad Beyad. Click for flyer...

Wednesday, May 3. 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm.
Bistro V: 2295 Gravenstein Hwy S. Sebastopol. Tel. 707.823.1262.

Israel in the Gardens 2006

Community Wide celebration of Israel 58 th Independence Day

Sunday, June 4, 2006. Yerba Buena Gardens , San Francisco. www.israelinthegardens.org / 415.512.6203