November 6, 2006

(South Peninsula, CA) – Community leaders were honored for their dedication and commitment at the kick off to the 2007 South Peninsula Campaign of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Neill and Linda Brownstein received the Harvey Koch Leadership Award and Ellen Bob was bestowed the Jim Brooks Achievement Award as 130 people gathered to celebrate the South Peninsula Jewish community.

Bruce Landgarten, director, South Peninsula Region, says of the three recipients, “We are very proud that Linda, Neill and Ellen of the South Peninsula have been honored with these awards of distinction. Their impressive dedication and accomplishments are inspiring and challenge us all to improve and meet their high level of enthusiasm within our philanthropic endeavors.”

The Harvey Koch Leadership Award was established in 1991 to honor Harvey Koch, a pioneer in helping to develop the local Federation community on the South Peninsula and the first president of the Federation’s South Peninsula Council. The award is presented to a South Peninsula leader who has made a significant and lasting contribution over many years to this community.

The recipients of this year’s Harvey Koch Leadership Award, Neill and Linda Brownstein, have been recognized for over two decades of leadership in the Bay Area Jewish community. Both have served extensively on the Federation’s Israel and Overseas Committee; Linda recently completed her term as chair of it, as well as her term as a vice president on the Federation's Board. She also has served on the Federation's South Peninsula Council. Neill currently serves as a member of the board of the Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life in the South Peninsula. Linda and Neill belong to two congregations in the South Peninsula and one in Utah.

The Brownsteins comment on this honor, “We are so proud to serve as role models for other communities in the U.S. and Israel.  By partnering here and overseas, our work is made more effective and provides financial leverage to help our programs reach farther.”

The Jim Brooks Achievement Award was established in 1995 to commemorate the memory of Jim Brooks, who dedicated himself to carrying on the work that his father-in-law, Harvey Koch, had begun many years before. Jim served with distinction as president of the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center. He was a long-time member of Congregation Beth Am and a friend to many in the community. This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the South Peninsula community within a relatively short period of time, and who has shown potential for future leadership.

Ellen Bob, the recipient of this year’s Jim Brooks Achievement Award, has been active in the South Peninsula Jewish community since she moved to Los Altos in seventh grade and joined Congregation Kol Emeth with her family. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Kehillah Jewish High School and the South Peninsula Council. In her professional life, she is a partner in bob and bob fine Jewish gifts, crafts and books, which will soon be celebrating its 25th Hanukkah.

Ellen says, "It has been a huge privilege to be a lay leader in the Peninsula Jewish Community. I hope to continue to contribute to the vitality of our community for many years to come. I hope to encourage others to join me in creating the infrastructure our community deserves. I can't imagine doing anything more satisfying."

The Harvey Koch Leadership Award and the Jim Brooks Achievement Award are made possible by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.

The Jewish Community Federation is the central organization for fundraising, planning, outreach and leadership development for Jewish communities in San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Marin and Sonoma counties. In fiscal year 2004-05, the Federation’s annual campaign allocated $16.9 million to some 60 agencies providing social services, educational and cultural programs in the Bay Area, in the U.S., Israel and elsewhere in the world. In fiscal year 2005, the Federation’s Endowment Fund, with assets exceeding $1.05 billion, provided more than $215 million for a variety of grants, seed projects and emergency needs. For more information, call 415.777.0411 or visit www.sfjcf.org.