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A truly inspiring annual meeting

On Thursday, June 15, the Jewish Community Federation held its 96th annual meeting at the JCC of San Francisco. The culmination of a year filled with change and opportunity, the meeting, attended by more than 300 Federation “family” members, was a celebration of accomplishment, leadership and the community the Federation serves.

The theme of the annual meeting was “Inspiring the Next Generation,” and it lived up to that idea and then went beyond it. Starting with the triumvirate of Federation leadership, the messages throughout the night were ones of commitment, caring, focus, future and collaboration.

Outgoing president David Steirman spoke of all that had been accomplished during his two-year tenure — from adopting a more strategic vision for allocating funds, to the agencies and organizations that serve the community, to hiring Thomas A. Dine as CEO, to beginning to change the Federation’s internal structure and practices to better meet the needs of the community as illuminated through the Jewish Community Study.

Picking up the thread from Steirman, CEO Tom Dine challenged the community as a whole — to hit big issues like poverty, hunger and other needs head on, to raise the bar for how we serve our community — and he promised that the Federation would be leading the charge in this direction.

Finally, incoming president John Pritzker stated that “The needs of the community have changed, the region itself has changed and philanthropy have changed. Therefore, there now is an opportunity and obligation for Federation to rethink its role to meet these changes and to map a vision and strategy to strengthen the future of Jewish life here and around the world, and to work collaboratively to make this happen.”  

And their challenge of focusing on the needs of the community was echoed over and over again throughout the course of the program. First, it was sounded by two self-described “inspired” young adults who traveled to Israel with 65 other Bay Area residents in their 20s and 30s as part of the United Jewish Communities of North America’s Tel Aviv One conference. Adam Felson and Ann Levin shared what they had learned from this trip — and how it had inspired them to be even more involved in this community upon their return home.

Then, this theme of inspiration was heard again and again in the acceptance speeches of the winners of the 2006 Awards of Excellence, the Robert Sinton Extraordinary Leader of the Year Award, the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award, the presentation of the Helen Diller Family Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education and the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards. The words “commitment,” “vision” and “community” left a resounding impression on all in attendance. For a complete list of this year’s winners, please click here.

As the meeting closed with the traditional singing of “Hatikvah,” the energy and passion to continue to help make a difference in our Jewish community — here in the Bay Area, in Israel and around the world — was palpable. It was truly a reminder of how one group of people can indeed build a very big community.

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Teen Foundation Update

The 22-member teen board of the Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation (PJCTF) recently announced that they have raised $41,000 to allocate in grants this year. PJCTF, which has just completed its third grant cycle, culminated its year with a ceremony and celebration on May 21, 2006. At the celebration, teens had a chance to reflect on their experience, and as they commented, “PJCTF feels like the most important thing [we] have ever done.”  

Grants this year were offered to programs focusing on combating injustice and inequality for youth through education: 

• $5,000 to AHAVA — for tutoring 36 learning-disabled kids.
• $2,500 to American Jewish World Service — supporting construction of a water supply and distribution system in Chad for Darfur refugees and Chadanian locals.
• $3,750 to the Israel Association for Childhood Protection (ELI)— to underwrite the cost of delivering a successful child abuse prevention program to ten schools in Israel that would reach those schools’ 2,750 children and adolescent attendees.
• $5,000 to Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro — to support a social education program raising awareness and acceptance of those who are different and/or have special needs.
• $7,500 to Friends of Yemin Orde — to fund a program for disadvantaged Israeli immigrant children to volunteer with other populations in need.
• $5,000 to Hand in Hand —  to create after-school opportunities for Jewish and Arab Israeli children grades 7-9 to further tolerance, acceptance and communication between Jews and Arabs in Israel. 
• $2,500 to Jewish Coalition for Literacy — to support 20 local student–mentor pairs of at-risk kindergarten students through weekly personal tutoring sessions.
• $5,000 to Living Compassion — to provide proper septic systems so a school in Ndola, Zambia can can reopen and provide an education to 200 homeless orphans ages 7–15.
• $5000 to Madre — to equip a school in Northern Kenya with educational materials, chalkboards, books, school supplies and playground equipment, as well as uniforms and shoes for 50 children for one year.

Six of the 22 board members have spent two years with the PJCTF and are now moving on to new endeavors. The PJCTF will be accepting applications for the 2006-2007 board starting in late August.  More information on PJCTF can be found on the Federation’s website at www.sfjcf.org/endowments/grants/programs/teenfoundation/peninsula/ or by contacting Sue Schwartzman, PJCTF project director and regional coordinator of teen philanthropy for the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, at 650.919.2109.

PJCTF is endowed by the Serrano Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund with retreat planning and facilitation support from the Laura and Gary Lauder Philanthropic Fund of the JCEF. The Bay Area Regional Teen Foundation Retreat was sponsored by the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund with additional support from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.

News from the Marin Region

In Marin, the Women's Alliance Board, hosted by co-presidents Lisa Meitus and Jordana Perman, held a thank-you brunch for their 22 board members. At this lunch, the attendees evaluated the year and began discussions about some promising ideas for next year's Campaign focused on bringing in new faces and dollars, and increasing active participation within the Marin Jewish community. Stay tuned for an action-packed journey as we begin to celebrate the Women's Alliance 50th anniversary in the coming months!

News from the Russian Division

On Sunday, June 11, the Russian Division held a parlor meeting featuring Professor Michael Beizer, a renowned author, professor at Hebrew University and lay leader with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC, aka “the Joint”). Dr. Beizer gave a powerful and moving presentation of the JDC’s and the Federation’s role in the lives of the Jews in the former Soviet Union — both past and present. 

Ruvim and Inna Braude hosted the event for 30 people in their beautiful SF home. Russian Division Chair  Galina Leytes, gave a comprehensive and inspiring presentation on how Federation dollars help both locally and worldwide.

Parlor meetings offer an intimate and comfortable way for members of the Russian-speaking Jewish community to come together and interact with national cultural and political Jewish leaders. Future parlor meetings will continue next fall. For more information, contact the Russian Division at russiandivision@sfjcf.org.

On Sunday, June 11, JCFI, the Jewish education and leadership program for Russian speakers, held its 5th Session, focusing on the history of Soviet Jewry rescue.  The speaker was Rabbi Doug Kahn, Executive Director of JCRC.  Doug told an incredibly compelling tale of the Jewish community’s rescue efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry.  Many Russian Jews, who lived the story from the other side, have no idea of the struggle that took place in the US to secure their release and the Jewish community’s (especially the Federation’s) efforts for their resettlement.  It was inspiring and humbling to hear about American Jews coming together to struggle for the freedom of fellow Jews.

Doug’s presentation, complete with photos and articles of “Let My People Go” demonstrations, sent chills down many a spine.  The group, sitting in freedom and studying Jewish leadership, got quite a perspective on how far Soviet Jewry has come.

During the second half of the evening, participants broke out into groups to formulate a plan on how to promote information about the history of Soviet Jewry rescue to fellow Russian Jews.  Group members discussed, debated, and challenged each other (loudly!) to form a consensus for a viable plan. The passion behind wanting others to be familiar with the Jewish community’s struggle for fellow Jews was evident. The Federation’s message of “community building community” came alive in the room.

• Learn more about the Russian Division

News from the Women’s Alliance

On June 7, 2006, the Women’s Alliance held its 49th annual celebration and installation at the Lake Merced Golf & Country Club. The event launched the commencement of the Women’s Alliance 50th anniversary year with the theme Tradition and Transformation. Ann Bear presented “Rookie of the Year” awards to Laura Landress of the Marin region, Jessica Rosenbaum and Amy Sosnick of the North Peninsula, Steffie Finkelstein of San Francisco and Talya Brinkman of the South Peninsula. Liki Abrams, Nominating Committee chair, presented the installation of the 2007 Women’s Alliance Board. Jessica Rosenbaum gave a compelling presentation recounting her experience participating in YAD’s Tel Aviv One. Eve Cohen, Women’s Alliance president, and Marilyn Dobbs Higuera, Women’s Alliance Campaign chair, also gave informative presentations.

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Israel in the Gardens

12,000 people flocked to Yerba Buena Gardens on a sunny Sunday in June to celebrate Israel, eat delicious food, and enjoy great musical performances and each other’s company.

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Upcoming events

More events are being added all the time. Be sure to check our calendar page for the latest listings and all the details!

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