Faces

By Suzan Berns | August 22, 2008

Walking for a cure

Breast cancer survivors Mara Berns Langer and Tammy Martino were among a team of 14 who took to the streets for two days in July in the 2008 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Tracy Stettner of Hillsborough organized the team, which also included Kathy Williams, Melissa Hessekeil, Meredith Walsey, Jennifer Liebhaber, Karen Kotowitz, Elyse Steinberger, Aaron Stettner, Stephanie LaCarrubba, Shawn Novack and Sarah Prescott.

The group raised more than $60,000 toward finding a cure for breast cancer.

A happy ending

Peter Stein, executive director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, was not thrilled when he learned that the city of San Rafael had rescheduled its annual Carrera de San Rafael, a bike race, for the festival’s opening night in Marin — and planned to close the street in front of the theater. After a discussion with city leadership, Stein and the SFJFF prevailed. The city moved the race down a block and all the race fans convening in downtown San Rafael led to an even more festive grand opening for the film festival.

Did he stay or did he go?

Did you see “Strangers” at the SFJFF? Among the people I talked to, there was quite a difference of opinion about whether Eyal stayed in Paris with his girlfriend or returned to Israel. What do you think? Let me know at [email protected]

Brangelina’s local connection

It was widely reported (in the Jewish press, at least) that Dr. Michael Sussman, the French doctor who delivered the Jolie-Pitt twins, is a member of the tribe. Now comes news via San Francisco resident Marilyn Taubman of a Bay Area connection: When the doctor and his wife came to the United States to see their daughter who is in school here, he stayed in Burlingame resident Linda Olson’s cabin in the Berkshires. Notes Olson, the Sussmans also went to New York City to see their son, who was studying violin with Itzhak Perelman.

Teach your children well

Or … it’s a small, small world. Berkeley Midrasha director Diane Bernbaum reports that Suzy Klein of Alameda — and currently Amherst, Mass., where she’s getting her Ph.D. in psychology — had lunch with her former Midrasha teacher, Riqi Kosovske, who is now a rabbi in Northhampton, Mass. Klein is a graduate of a program that trains teachers for Jewish day schools and been hired by Kosovske to design the curriculum for her synagogue’s schools. Klein, by the way, is the daughter of j.’s editor and publisher, Marc Klein.

New folks on board…

Zohar Porshyan will be joining the staff of Hillel of Silicon Valley in a new position as the group’s very first Israel Fellow. He’ll be arriving from Jerusalem next month. Also joining the staff is Benji Berlow, who comes with experience at Hillel in Milwaukee … Ruth Berg is leaving the SV Hillel staff to become religious school administrator at Congregation Beth Am … Kehillah Jewish High School’s new director of development is Stuart J. Rogoff. Besides being an experienced fundraiser, Rogoff is a musician and songwriter. (Let’s see how he combines those skills to raise money for the school.) … Josh Rosenberg is the new assistant regional director for the Peninsula-Silicon Valley at the San Francisco office of the Anti-Defamation League. He’ll be based in Palo Alto, which will be almost like coming home to the San Jose native.

This columnist can be reached at [email protected].

Suzan Berns