Relief dollars at work
Alan Rothenberg recently visited countries devastated by the tsunami with the Joint Distribution Committee. He was enriched by the emotion of the trip, he said, wearing a string around his wrist. The “bracelet” was given to him by a priest in Sri Lanka, who blessed Rothenberg and friends in appreciation of the help provided by the American Jewish community. It would remind him that he had been blessed, the priest told him. On the advice of friends, Rothenberg prepared for the trip by stocking up on mosquito repellant — full-strength — and anti-mosquito clothes. But though the weather was hot and humid, he never saw a mosquito. What he did see, he reported, is that “JDC picked world-class partners to do their work.”
Ohio bios
It’s a small Jewish world … After Paula Maggio got word of the “Faces” items about Akron, Ohio, natives living in the Bay Area, she wrote about it in the Akron Jewish News, which she edits. Shortly thereafter, this columnist’s mom, Gloria Reich, who lives in Akron, received a bunch of calls about other former Akronites living here. And they are Nancy Hoffman and Sue Waldman (Marin), Kathy Richmond Salkin (Santa Clara), Debbie Hirsh, Jerry Rossen, Lisa Schoenberg, Susan Zetzer Thorn and Mark Haberman (all of San Francisco), Sylvia Freedman Aftel (San Mateo) and Paula Kaplan (Palo Alto).
(P.S. Susan Zetzer Thorn, if you see this, I was your counselor at the JCC day camp, way back when.)
An easy ‘yes’
“It was irresistible,” Brian Lurie said about the opportunity to address major donors at a Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay special event in October. But not for the obvious reasons. He’ll be getting together with colleagues from his days at the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation — Loren Basch, now the East Bay federation executive director, Arlene Burbank, the East Bay marketing director, and Susan Solomon Libitzky, host of the party. Basch was campaign director and Libitzky and Burbank were part of the communications department staff when Lurie was executive director of the San Francisco federation (also way back when).
Short shorts …
Lisa Portnoy was elected president of the South Peninsula Council of the S.F.-based federation … Joelle Steefel will lead the JCF’s leadership mission to Israel in November when they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the S.F. Amuta, the federation’s committee in Israel … Former Amuta chair Shmuel ben Tovim just moved to London where he will serve in the Israel Embassy for a few years … Todd Braman of the Peninsula JCC and Gordon Gladstone of Berkeley Hillel were participants in the annual Kaplan Seminar for Emerging Professionals at Brandeis University, in Waltham, Mass., last July.
Moving stories
Educator extraordinaire Nechama Tamler’s new company’s brochure says that her business, Jewish Personal Training, “integrates all of my skills and my passions — to let my people know.” She’s ready, willing and able to coach on a wide range of Jewish subjects — from making a perfect challah to interpreting the Torah. Contact her at [email protected].
In other moves … Nicole Sasson-Miller is the new national director of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Diller Teen Program … Congregation Sherith Israel and Lowell High School alum Jacqueline Mates-Muchin is a new assistant rabbi at Oakland’s Temple Sinai. When that congregation’s Rabbi Steve Chester takes his six-month sabbatical in early 2006, former assistant Rabbi Suzanne Singer will fill in before leaving the Bay Area for Los Angeles.