The Fillmore district, currently recognized for its hip boutiques, fun cafes, and jazz history was once the hub of the San Francisco Jewish community. During the early 1900’s, the Fillmore was a place of rich Jewish culture where Torah learning, delis, and music comprised the rhythm of daily life. Today, the traditions and rituals of the historic Jewish community lives on through the exhibit “Jews of the Fillmore” showing now through October 20.

The free exhibit consists of a historical twenty-minute walking tour through the Fillmore, online galleries, and a photo show. The photo gallery will be showcased at The Jazz Heritage Center, located in the heart of the Fillmore district in San Francisco.

Special Event!
On Thursday, July 16, GET FED is hosting an exclusive opening night event in celebration of the exhibit. Grammy-nominated guitarist John Schott and his mighty Typical Orchestra were commissioned to compose a unique soundtrack for this exhibit and they will perform it live - not to be missed!
Learn More & Register

Want to know more? See what all the hub-bub is about:   

• Jews of the Fillmore: Exhibit honors a once-thriving S.F. Jewish neighborhood – j. weekly, July 9, 2009
• Jews of the Fillmore Exhibition: Judah L. Magnes Museum – San Francisco Sentinel, June 30, 2009
• The Jazz Heritage Center
• Magnes Museum

Please join me and National Women’s Philanthropy in supporting the EARLY Act Bill (H.R. 1740) that is currently being discussed in the Congress and Senate. This is an important bill to provide for breast cancer education and awareness as well as early detection. As a woman who is both BRCA positive and a survivor of breast cancer, I can assure you that it was early detection and information that saved my life. I am blessed to have had the knowledge and support so that I could share this with you today.

Follow the instructions below to sign the online petition and/or send a letter to your representatives. This bill is important to us, to our daughters, and to our survival.

Judith E. Goldkrand
Women’s Philanthropy President

• Sign the online petition for breast cancer awareness
• Check out the National Women’s Philanthropy leadership briefing on the EARLY Act
• Write your Representatives and Senators to let them know how your thoughts on H.R. 1740
• Read the summary and full text of the EARLY Act
• Follow the status of H.R. 1740

I have now worked in our Jewish community for over a year and a half—as my first job out of college, I came to the San Francisco Bay Area and entered my first “real job” with the kind of nervousness usually reserved for the first day of school, group presentations or performing onstage. I had no idea what to expect, or where I was going. My connection to the Jewish community growing up was slim to none, although my mother would sometimes light the menorah around Hanukkah.

A year and a half later, I have come to realize that I unknowingly entered a profound, caring and wonderful community by stepping into my position with the Jewish Community Federation. I feel that I made one of the best decisions of my life by choosing to be here and by working with such amazing people who have a strong desire to do good and to do tikkun olam – “repairing the world.” As an individual who cares deeply about people in need, I know that I have found my niche in the nonprofit world, and the Jewish community is one with such strong values and integrity, that I know I belong exactly where I am, and doing exactly what I am meant to do.

The power of who we are can be expressed not in what we say, but in what we do. I can think of no better example than of when I announced to my friends and colleagues that I would be moving to Berkeley. Immediately, I had offers of help, food, furniture, and anything I could possibly need. I can’t help but notice and compare this move with all of my other moves, when I had to bribe and beg anyone who would listen for assistance. There is a stark difference between this time, and all of those other times, because of the fact that I am in a community that consists of individuals who support each other.

I would like to thank my associates, my friends, my colleagues, the professionals, lay leaders, and everyone in this community for making me a part of something wonderful; a community and a presence within the world that gives back what they receive and then some, with a desire to make the world a better place than when they found it. There is no greater strength, no greater power than to do good, and our Jewish community does just that.

-Jasmine Blanchard
Administrative Assistant, Early Childhood Education Initiative

Later that night, I watched the television broadcast of the Pride March.  As you can hear in the video clip from the broadcast, the commentators’ had the same observation that I did when they too noticed how many marchers were in our contingent and how the group represented young and old, families, children—even a few pets—but all as the Jewish community, showing our support.

~by Brian Campbell, Supporting Foundation Administrator

Video produced by KOFY for their on-air live broadcast

Related posts:

• http://sfjcf.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/lgbt-pics-pride/
• http://sfjcf.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/jewish-lgbt/

Israel’s national theatre, Habimah, has arrived in the United States. Their show, The Dybbuk, will be performed live this week at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

• Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 7:00 PM-8:00PM
• Thursday, July 9, 2009, 7:00PM-8:00PM
• Sunday, July 12, 2009 5:00PM-6:00PM
• Sunday, July 12, 2009, 7:30PM-8:30PM

A member of Habimah and his puppet in the cockpit of the airplane en route to the United States

The members of Habima in the limo upon their arrival to the States

A member of Habimah and his puppet performing a scence from The Dybbuk

• Tickets, information, and more photos
• Check out the flyer
• Calendar listing

The production is  a co-presentation of the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation, the Israeli Consulate and the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

“I believe that my husband and I will be able to more meaningfully engage in Jewish rituals and practices with our children and as a family because of this course, like Shabbat, reading the Shema and possibly with a bar/bat mitzvah for our children.”

 ~Parenting Matters participant, San Rafael

Parenting Matters is a program of the Jewish Community Federation’s Early Childhood Education Initiative (ECEI), an initiative that engages more Bay Area families in Jewish life and community. Parenting Matters is a direct response to the ECEI’s strategic planning process that identified Connecting with Families as a priority in the Bay Area Jewish community. It is an adult learning group for Jewish and interfaith families raising children five years of age and younger. Learn how Judiasm can be a source of wisdom to connect with your children and create a spiritual home. Explore basic Jewish principles and how to apply our learning into modern parenting practices.

We welcome those who would like to connect with the Jewish community and encourage participants of interfaith families, couples and significant others in this program.

Parenting Matters will be held in the fall of 2009 at the following locations:

Where: Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San Francisco
Time: Wednesday mornings, 9:30-10:45am
Class Schedule: 8 classes, Oct. 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18 and Dec. 2, 9
Instructor: Rabbi Eve Ben-Ora, Jewish Educator, JCCSF

Where: Peninsula Jewish Community Center, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City
Time: Friday mornings, 9:30-10:45am
Class Schedule: 8 classes, Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 and Dec. 4, 11
Instructor: Rabbi Tamar Malino, Associate Executive Director of Jewish Life for the PJCC

To register for either location or for more information, contact Vivien Braly at 415.499.1223 x8106 or email VivienB@sfjcf.org or visit www.jcfparentingmatters.org.

A light breakfast will be served at each session, and childcare is available for JCC members.

This class is offered in partnership with the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties and generously funded by the Interfaith Outreach Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund.  

"We are ALL created in the image of the Divine"

Marty Fox, a member of the LGBT Alliance Planning and Advisory Group wears a red feather indicating that he is a volunteer with his new bride, Meagan Hessel Fox

Jews March for Pride Trolley

Rabbi Sydney Mintz of Congregation Emanu-El leads the Jewish contingency at the parade

A group of counselors-in-training "Avodahs" from Camp Newman get married under a rainbow huppah

Jews March for Pride Organizing Team: (L - R) Sam Strauss and Lisa Finkelstein of the LGBT Alliance, Margee Churchon and Jessica Trubowitch of JCRC

Freedom and Pride!

Teens from Camp Newman march with Teens from Rodef Shalom

Three-year-old Mali rides her tricycle down Market Street

Check out all the photos from the Pride Parade at the photo galleries:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ofir.zwebner/SFGayParade2009

http://sfjcf.smugmug.com/gallery/8724795_dGNdx/1/578399264_Lngob

http://tinyurl.com/MorePridePhotos (Photos by Dr. Rita Alfonzo)

If you have more photos to share, respond in a comment and send us the link!

Jews Celebrate Pride

The party attire was full-effect on Sunday for the 2009 San Francisco Pride Parade: feather boas, glitter, leather mini skirts, 5-inch heels… and that’s just the men! The traditional flamboyance associated with the 2009 Annual Pride Parade definitely did not disappoint, but there was a solemn and very strong political undertone to the celebration this year. In all of the years I’ve attended both the San Jose and San Francisco Pride parades, this year felt less like a giant dance party in the street and more like an organized, professional, and strategic mobilization in the entire community as both LGBT members and their supportive allies came together with one message: We want equality, and we want it now.

Eight months ago, hearing the word “no” had a positive connotation. When Proposition 8 (the Proposition to ban gay marriage in California) was still on the table and with so much money and effort being poured into our state to fight against equality, the San Francisco Bay Area stood up and firmly said, “NO”. It was strong, encouraging, and it banded our community together. I was and still am so proud to live in an area where discrimination is not tolerated and the leaders in both my political and Jewish community were adamant in saying, “No. This can not and will not happen.”

On October 11, 2008 my girlfriend of two years and I were married in a small civil ceremony surrounded by family and friends. It was to be exactly one year to the day before the “big” wedding we had been planning since our engagement earlier that spring – but bumped up in the timing “just in case”. It was a gorgeous autumn day, and the most special day of my life, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel like we were smart for taking out this insurance policy of sorts.

Elana and Denise exchanging vows

Then on the first Tuesday in November, we heard the one word we didn’t want to hear: Yes.

By a devastatingly narrow margin, the slim majority of California had succeeded in taking away a passionate minority’s rights. Yes had become no. No equality. No marriage for us. Signs went up crying “fowl” as chickens suddenly had scored a better deal on the November ballot than the LGBT community. Angry marches stopped traffic along Market. Little did my wife and I know, we were about to become one of just 18,000 couples who are now a part of this first-class / second-class hybrid who were allowed to keep their marriage legal while everyone in the foreseeable future will have that right denied.

Shortly after the second painful blow by the Supreme Court’s late-May ruling to not overturn Proposition 8 based on the argument of its unconstitutionality, The j. ran a cover-story on the Jewish community’s mobilization after the verdict to let its constituency and most importantly, the general public know that this blatant disregard for equality and justice is not accepted in our Jewish faith, which firmly believes that all people are created b’tzelem elohim – in the image of G-d.

Knowing that something had to be done, our leadership started banding together. Federation LGBT Alliance director, Lisa Finkelstein, in partnership with East Bay Federation’s LGBT director, Sam Strauss, the Progressive Jewish Alliance, Kol Tzedek, Jewish Mosaic, JCRC, local synagogues and other organizations mobilized over 500 Jews to march together in Sunday’s parade. Email blasts signed by a number of rabbis were created. Word of mouth spread the information from community professionals to temple members to friends and family.

My North Peninsula’s community was small, but not to be outdone. With Rabbis Dan Feder, Nat Ezray, Dennis Eisner, temple executive Amy Mallor, temple president Keith Tandowsky in attendance, as well as families from local temples with their children, community leaders, some with Federation connection for over 25 years – all marching with us, for the first time in a while, hearing “yes” was okay again. As a Jewish community professional, I asked my community members to march with me for professional reasons and of course, personal ones… and I heard, “yes” many times, and always enthusiastically. It was as if the word “no” wasn’t even an option; even those who were going to regrettably be out of town insisted that they would indeed be there in spirit. Sunday morning, as we assembled and turned on to Market Street in the abnormally hot San Francisco sun, the “yes” continued. “Yes” roared from the crowds of people watching the parade from the sides, along with “thank you” shouted at us from random people who were absolutely thrilled to see us with our Hebrew-lettered t-shirts and tallit-covered shoulders.

I am so proud to be a part of this community and honored to have had the opportunity to march and to “pray with my feet” Sunday morning. It’s nice to be told yes. It’s nice to say yes. It’s empowering to be in a community that won’t tolerate anything but the best it can give, and as a Federation employee, it thrills me to be able to give back to a community that deserves so much.

~ by Denise Ron, North Peninsula Campaign Associate

Part of the Jewish contingency at the Pride Parade

… Be a mensch and volunteer in the community!

The Jewish Community Federation’s Business Leadership Council has come up with three great organizations to donate your time to this summer.  If you know of other great Bay Area volunteer opportunities, be sure to let us know in the comments section.

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Marketing Professionals Wanted!

Are you a marketing professional who wants to use your skills to make a difference? Lend your expertise to Upstart Bay Area clients who need your help naming their non-profit organizations. Perform a mitzvah AND get current work on your resume.

• Find out which organizations need your help
• Learn more about UpStart Bay Area

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The JCC Maccabi Games -
Sports, social events, community service and more!

The JCC Maccabi Games needs you! This exciting event, featuring 1,500 teen athletes from all over the US and abroad, needs volunteers for 4-hour shifts. Scorekeepers, timers, chaperones, snack servers, security, registration, Green Team, etc… we need it all! Help make these Games memorable for athletes, our community and for you.
Dates: August 2-7, 2009

• Sign up now to volunteer
• Learn more about the JCC Maccabi Games

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Put your professional expertise to work:
Help people hone their job search skills.

Volunteer your extra time with Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), where you might conduct mock interviews, help people build their computer skills and search for jobs online, tutor math or help with practicing English. If extra time is at a minimum, perhaps you can offer someone a job or internship. Please consider posting your job openings on the JVS website.

• Sign up now to volunteer
• Learn more about JVS

As the Jewish Community Federation enters the last few days of the Annual Campaign, the impact of the downturn in our economy has become more and more pronounced.  We have had fewer donors, and thus might not be able to meet our present allocations.  This means that the programs that serve our community, from school children to seniors, from the Bay Area to Israel, from meals to scholarships are at risk.

Our staff, recognizing the importance of these programs and wanting to help raise the needed funds, turned inward and started asking each other to make a contribution to our giving campaign.

As of yesterday, over 60% of our staff had made a donation to the Federation this year, totaling over $73,000!

The 60% participation rate is much higher than last year’s and worth celebrating in a time when overall charitable giving is down.

Speaking of which, we would love for you to help reverse the downward trend and to make a difference in our community.  For years, our community has helped send children to summer camp, provided career assistance to the unemployed, and given winter relief packages to those in need.  Please help us provide for the community by giving a gift to the Federation today.

http://www.sfjcf.org/waystogive/donate/campaign.asp

THANK YOU!