One day in Denver
Josh Bendor, who grew up in Palo Alto, gave his aunt Wendy Rothenberg of San Francisco a very special present — a one-day pass to the Democratic National Convention (and it wasn’t even her birthday). Bendor is living in Des Moines these days, where he’s Iowa policy director for the Obama campaign. Rothenberg flew to Denver on Aug. 27 and then flew home in the wee hours of the next day. Bendor, whose parents are Linda and Jonathan Bendor, isn’t a stranger to Iowa — he was there for the primary.
That’s entertainment!
On her promo for her upcoming fall comedy shows, comic Lisa Geduldig says — about tickets — to “get ’em while they’re hot!” … then asks, “What does that mean?” And about her show at Mary’s Futons, a store in San Rafael on Sept. 28, she says, “You’ll lie down; we’ll stand up.” Read all about it, and about her four-city “George Bush Going Away Party,” at www.koshercomedy.com.
Petaluma actor-comedian-emcee Jeffrey Weissman has a featured role in “Corked,” a mockumentary about wine country and competition for the best wines. Weissman also teaches acting and has played a variety of roles in movies and theater, including George McFly, Michael J. Fox’s dad, in “Back to the Future Part II.”
And Perry Garfinkel, formerly of Oakland and now living in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., e-mailed that his daughter Arianna Garfinkel (now living in the Big Apple) is associate producer of a very positively reviewed film about blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, called (what else?) “Trumbo.”
Jewish learning is cool
Among the classes being offered at the East Bay’s Midrasha Tri-Valley/Tri-Cities are “Hip Hoppin’ thru Tradishin” and “Journey to Jewpiter.” The electives were developed under the auspices of new Midrasha director Day Schildkret, who is known for “creating pioneering curricula such as ‘Jewish Jedi in Training,'” writes Karen Holtz. Schildkret joined the school last year.
Kudos & mazel tovs
Ruth Jacobs was named Burlingame’s Citizen of the Year in recognition of more than four decades of community service including volunteering and holding leadership positions in a wide variety of organizations and causes … Arlene Burbank of Kensington reports that Stan Osofsky and Sergio Quintor, both of Oakland, received the Peggy Ermet Memorial Award for their generous philanthropy and involvement with the Richmond/Ermet Aids Foundation. They were honored at “Help is On the Way,” an annual AIDS benefit, held at the Palace of Fine Arts in August … Miriam Butrimovitz writes that Gerald Butrimovitz and Associates, her husband’s wealth management firm, was listed in Goldline Research’s “Most Dependable Wealth Managers of Northern California for 2008.” Gerald has served on the boards of Hebrew Free Loan Association and the Bureau of Jewish Education, and is now a member of the finance committee at Jewish Family and Children’s Services … David Friedman has been named chair of the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Foundation. He’s been a member of the board since 2004 and has served as its vice chair. He’s also the chair of the board of Moldaw Senior Residences, the new senior living facility under construction on the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life in the South Peninsula.
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