New Israel Fund's dinner to honor founders, supporter

The New Israel Fund will confer three Guardian of Democracy Awards Saturday, Oct. 19 at a dinner event at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Recipients are Hillsborough resident Phyllis Koshland Friedman, and Friedman's daughter Eleanor Friedman, and son in-law, Jonathan Cohen, both of Boston.

Eleanor Friedman and Cohen founded the New Israel Fund in 1979, while living in the Bay Area. Since then, the fund has supported a range of organizations that work to strengthen democracy in Israel, as well as promote religious pluralism, human and civil rights. Koshland Friedman has been one of the New Israel Fund's longest running supporters.

Guest speaker at the event will be Israeli writer Yehuda Amichai, a recipient of the Israel Prize and dubbed "the poet laureate of Israel." Though best known for his poetry, Amichai has also written several plays and short stories, as well as one novel. His work has been translated into 33 languages.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails; dinner is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $175 (contributions in excess of $60 per reservation are tax deductible). Yerba Buena Center is on Third Street between Mission and Howard. For information, call (415) 928-1114.

Israeli poet will inaugurate Israel Center

Israel's leading poet Yehudah Amichai will inaugurate the Israel Center with a poetry reading at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center, in the Firehouse behind Building E, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard.

Amichai's works have been translated into 33 languages. He has been called the "poetic soul of Jerusalem" and "the voice of his generation."

His reading is sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel and San Francisco's new Israel Center, which was established in partnership by the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Community Relations Council, Bureau of Jewish Education and Northern California Hillel Council.

For information, call (415) 278-0630.

State Dept. mediator will give status report

Dennis Ross, U.S. State Dept. Middle East coordinator and mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, will report on the current state of affairs at a noon lunch Friday, Oct. 18 at the San Francisco Hilton, 333 O'Farrell St.

The event is sponsored by the World Affairs Council, Jewish Community Relations Council and Palestinian American Congress.

Lunch and program cost for members is $35, for nonmembers, $40. Program-only costs are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are due by Wednesday, Oct. 16. Call Johanna Finney at (415) 434-5115.

To get NCJW award

For her leadership contributions, Rita Semel will be given the Hannah G. Solomon Award by the National Council of Jewish Women at a noon lunch Friday, Oct. 18 at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. Semel is executive vice chair of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, co-convenor of the San Francisco Council on Homelessness, Jewish Bulletin board member and executive director emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

AJCommittee schedules `Intel in Israel' talk

Intel International's executive vice president Robert H. Perlman will join Israel's economic consul in a discussion on "Building From Within. Intel in Israel: A Success Story" at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14 at Jewish Community Federation's Koret Board Room, 121 Steuart St., S.F.

Tickets for the event, sponsored by Open Circle of the American Jewish Committee, are $5 for students, $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. For reservations, call (415) 777-3820.

`Ask Isadora' writer to appear at `Frenzy'

San Francisco Bay Guardian columnist Isadora Alman (Ask Isadora) will be one of the featured speakers at the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation's annual Fall Frenzy.

Sponsored by the JCF's Young Adults Division and slated to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center at 655 Arastradero Road in Palo Alto, the all-day event offers a variety of social, cultural and educational activities for single Jewish adults.

In addition to the lecture with Alman — whose popular column offers advice on sex and relationships — a myriad of workshops will be offered. There will also be sports, arts and crafts, a catered lunch and dancing to the motown and reggae sounds of local band Live Wire.

The cost of the Fall Frenzy event is $30. For more information, call (415) 436-0711.

Correction

A photo caption in the Oct. 4 Bulletin incorrectly stated where Ingeborg Weinmann's show "No Exile" will run. It is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 6 and 7 at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California St., only.