August 17, 2006

Sunday, August 27, 2006, 1:00-5:30 p.m.
Burgess Park, Menlo Park
$10 in advance; $15 at the park; $8 for students with ID
Ages 21 and older.
Dietary laws observed.

(Menlo Park, CA) Join the kickoff to the new Campaign year with an end-of-summer BBQ at the eighth annual Young Adults Division (YAD) Summer Sizzle, scheduled for August 27, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at Burgess Park in Menlo Park. This annual event draws a crowd of 200 and is a day of food, games and entertainment. This year, festivities include an Israeli-style barbeque, softball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, water balloon toss, BYO-drum and an acoustic jam circle and more.

In an effort to continue the positive energy generated by Israel in the Gardens, the region’s largest event for the Jewish community, and to help the Jewish Community Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign raise funds for the victims of the conflict in Israel, an Israeli theme will prevail throughout Summer Sizzle. Donations will be accepted at the event and all monies raised will go to the Federation’s partner organizations working in the impacted regions. .

The Summer Sizzle is the largest YAD event on the Peninsula and serves as an excellent opportunity for the extensive young adult and Israeli population in the region to become involved with tzedakah (justice, righteousness and charity), community building and leadership development. The event is planned by volunteers; they gather donations, sponsorships, recruit participants, develop and run the games, pick the venue and design the marketing materials.

Co-chair Jessica Katz says of her involvement, “Summer Sizzle has a special place in my heart because it is the first event that I attended after moving back to the Bay Area from Sacramento. Last year I participated on the committee while preparing for my role as the YAD Campaign vice president on the Peninsula. Now that I'm co-chairing Summer Sizzle with Beth McGreevy, I'm more excited than ever that this will be a great event. This is the best way to both end a great year of YAD and start a new year with fun, friends, food and festivities.”

Veronica Monti, Activities and Entertainment Chair, says, “We are facing very difficult times today as Jews therefore we have to show our support and come together as a community. My goal for the event is to bring people together so they can schmooze and have an exciting day together.”

Additionally, attendees should bring hotel-size/sample-size toiletries and canned goods for the Jessica Saal Memorial Mitzvah project.

The Young Adults Division of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, offers young Jewish singles, couples and new Bay Area residents (ages 21 to 40-something) a broad range of social, educational, volunteer, philanthropic and leadership development opportunities.

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.