art

ongoing

“Artists in Action Save Mount Diablo: Wright Canyon.” Collaborative exhibit of 11 artists. Through Oct. 10. At Contra Costa JCC, 2071 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. (925) 947-3535. www.ccjcc.org.

“Baruch Spinoza: A Philosopher’s Life.” Prints by Isaac Lichtenstein. “1948-2008: Israel at 60.” Gerta Mathan photographs and Israeli artifacts. Through Sept. 20. At the Jewish Heritage Museum at Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living, 4000 Camino Tassajara, Danville. (925) 964-2094.

“In the Beginning: Artists Respond to Genesis.” Through Jan. 4, 2009. At the Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. www.thecjm.org.

“Illuminations: Creative Art from the Jewish Home.” Through Nov. 16. Reception honoring the artists on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. At Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. www.emanuelsf.org.

“Reflections.” Israeli artist Ruthie Bitton. From Sunday, Sept. 14 through Oct. 29. At the Robert Mondavi Winery, 7801 St. Helena Highway, Oakville. (707) 528-2618.

“The Torah in Bronze” by Martin Katz. Through December. Reception for the artist 2 p.m. Sept. 21. At Interior Niche, 3535 Sacramento St., S.F. (415) 572-1466. www.interiorniche.com.

“The Wedding Kiss.” Jewish artist Nitzhia Shaked. Opening at 5 p.m. Sept. 19. Through Nov. 19. At Caffe Bianco, 39 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 421-2091.

“Works on Iron.” Contemporary Israeli artists Helen Shaul and Asnat Greenberg. Through Nov. 24. At Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. Reception from 1-2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14. Free. www.pjcc.org.

“Yeldei Yisrael/Israeli Kids.” Rabbi Bernie Robinson’s photography. Through Wednesday, Sept. 17. At Osher Marin JCC, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. (415) 444-8066.

music & dance

monday | 15

Michael Alpert. Eastern European klezmer. At JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. 8 p.m. Free. www.michaelalpert.org.

tuesday | 16

Guitarist John Schott and friends. Part of “Reflections on the 1908 Czernowitz Yiddish Conference 100 Years After” and cosponsored by the Jewish Music Festival. At JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. 8 p.m. Free. www.johnschott.com.

theater

saturday | 13

“In the Belly of the Whale.” San Francisco Fringe Festival. Also Sept. 14. At EXIT on Taylor, 277 Taylor St., S.F. $9-$11. www.sffringe.org.

“Jews Must Be Crazy.” San Francisco Fringe Festival. Also Sept. 14. At EXIT Stage Left, 156 Eddy St., S.F. $9-$11. www.sffringe.org.

“Punchline.” Alicia Dattner’s one-woman show about life in the standup comedy universe. San Francisco Fringe Festival. At EXIT Stage Left, 156 Eddy St., S.F. $9-$11. www.sffringe.org.

“Sonderkommando.” San Francisco Fringe Festival. Also Sept. 14. At the Boxcar Playhouse, 505 Natoma St., S.F. $9-$11. www.sffringe.org.

film & video

saturday | 13

“The Band’s Visit.” Israeli movie club. At Albert L. Schultz JCC, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. 8:30 p.m. www.paloaltojcc.org.

thursday | 18

“Arranged.” At Congregation Ner Tamid, 1250 Quintara St., S.F. 7 p.m. www.nertamidsf.org.

“A Jihad for Love.” At JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. 7:30 p.m. $8. www.jcceastbay.org.

saturday | 20

“Two Minutes from Faradis.” At Temple Israel, 3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda. 7 p.m. $10. (510) 522-9355.

tv & radio

sunday | 14

“A Jewish Perspective.” A Gateway to Jewish Life with guest Rabbi Bridget Wynne of Jewish Gateways and host Rabbi Henry Shreibman. KRON-TV channel 4. 5:30 a.m.

“Synagogue of the Air.” On KUSF 90.3 FM. 9 a.m.

tuesday | 16

“Jewish Music Alternative.” With Raya Zion. On KZSU 90.1 FM. 9 a.m.-noon.

lectures & workshops

sunday | 14

“Awe and Creation: The High Holy Days Unplugged.” Bagels, lox and learning. At Kehillah Jewish High School, 3900 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. 10 a.m. $5 donation. (650) 494-6400.

East Bay JCRC Education Forum. At Beth Chaim Congregation, 1800 Holbrook Drive, Danville. 10 a.m. (510) 839-2900 ext. 217.

JSN Women’s Division Seminar. At Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. 10 a.m. $36 including lunch. www.jsn.info. [email protected]

“Creating Your Own Rituals Interfaith Workshop.” JCCSF family picnic, walk and talk. At Baker Beach, S.F. 12 p.m. $10. www.jccsf.org. (415) 292-1293.

Yiddish dance taught by Bruce Bierman. At Jewish Community High School of the Bay, 1835 Ellis St., S.F. 2 p.m. $5. (415) 566-7235.

“The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein.” Musical theater series with Joe Marchi. At Albert L. Schultz JCC, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. 3:30 p.m. www.paloaltojcc.org.

monday | 15

“Yiddish and the Symphony of Nations.” Reflections on the 1908 Czernowitz Yiddish Conference 100 years later. Also Sept. 16. At 370 Dwinelle Hall, U.C. Berkeley. 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m. Free. (510) 643-2995.

“Challah: Make it, Braid it, Eat it.” With Rebecca Ets-Hokin. At JCCSF, 3200 California St., S.F. 6:30 p.m. $50-$55. www.jccsf.org.

“Linda Greenhouse on the Supreme Court.” New York Times correspondent. At JCCSF, 3200 California St., S.F. 8 p.m. $10-$18. www.jccsf.org.

tuesday | 16

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Open House. At Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 9:30 a.m.-noon. (510) 642-9934. www.olli.berkeley.edu.

“How to Talk About Money and Still Hold Hands.” Wellness lecture series. At Addison-Penzak JCC, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos. 7 p.m. Free. www.svjcc.org.

Roz Chast, cartoonist for the New Yorker. At JCCSF, 3200 California St., S.F. 8 p.m. $15-$18. www.jccsf.org/arts.

wednesday | 17

“Religion and State in Israel.” With Nitzhia Shaked. At Contra Costa JCC, 2071 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. 10 a.m. $5-$8. (925) 938-7800.

“Interior Design Tips From an Insider.” With Diane Portugal. At Osher Marin JCC, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 6 p.m. www.marinjcc.org.

Ismail M. Khaldi, Deputy Consul General of Israel. At Congregation Beth Sholom, 1455 Elm St., Napa. 6 p.m. Free. www.cbsnapa.org.

“Divorce and Finances: A Free Workshop for Women.” At Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., S.F. 6:30 p.m. www.shalom-bayit.org.

Chai Society presents Michael Granoff. Head of oil independence policies at Better Place. In San Francisco. 7 p.m. RSVP for address, (415) 989-4140 ext. 6144.

“Choice vs. Life: The Jewish View on Abortion.” With Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz. At Congregation Adath Israel, 1851 Noriega St., S.F. 8 p.m. www.adathisraelsf.com.

thursday | 18

“Jews and Baseball.” Rabbi Mark Bloom. East Bay Jewish Forum. At Temple Beth Abraham, 327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 10 a.m. $10. (510) 839-2900 ext. 253.

“Google’s Talmud: The Web, Jewish Culture and the Power of Associative Thinking.” Panel discussion including Google Vice President for Engineering Udi Manber and Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 7 p.m. $8-$12. (415) 655-7800. [email protected]

“Baghdad to Bombay: In the Kitchens of My Cousins.” With author Pearl Sofaer. At bob and bob, 4500 El Camino Real, Los Altos. 7 p.m. (650) 947-7010.

saturday | 20

“Art and Politics in the Third Reich: Nazi Looted Art and Restitution.” European history professor Jonathan Petropoulos presents the Arthur G. Weiser lecture for interfaith understanding. At Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. 7:30 p.m. www.emanuelsf.org.

sunday | 21

Elul retreat with Sylvia Boorstein and Rabbi George Gittleman. At Congregation Shomrei Torah, 2600 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $36. www.jccsoco.org.

“Reading the Aleph-Bet Sound Project.” Gallery talk with U.C. Berkeley Judaica librarian Paul Hamburg. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 2 p.m. Free with admission. (415) 655-7800. [email protected]

benefits & social events

sunday | 14

“Fitness! Fun! Festivities at the PJCC.” Health and fitness open house, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; meet players from pro lacrosse’s San Francisco Dragons, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; art opening reception, 1-2 p.m.; Daffy Dave Family Ice Cream Social, 3-4:30 p.m. At Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. Free. (650) 212-7522. www.pjcc.org.

Congregation Kol Hadash booth at Solano Stroll. Between Tulare and Ensenada avenues on Solano Avenue, Berkeley. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. www.kolhadash.org.

End-of-summer BBQ. Food, swimming and games. At Addison-Penzak JCC, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos. 12-4 p.m. Free. RSVP to (408) 357-7499.

“Playing With the Queen of Diamonds.” Fundraiser for JCC East Bay featuring casino gaming, tapas and live music. At Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley. 5-10 p.m. (510) 848-0237 ext. 118.

monday | 15

Sonoma County Interfaith Peace Dinner. At Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 7 p.m. Free, potluck. (707) 206-2650.

thursday | 18

Honey tasting. With Helene Glickfeld Marshall of Marshall Honey Farm. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 12-4 p.m. www.thecjm.org.

Standup comic Shalom Asayag. In Hebrew. At Cañada College Theatre, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City. 9 p.m. $45-$75. (888) 619-8677.

sunday | 21

To Life! festival. Jewish art, music, activities and food. At California Avenue at El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.paloaltojcc.org/tolife.

“After Life.” To Life! post-party. At Illusions Club and Bar, 260 S. California Ave., Palo Alto. 5 p.m., $10. 21+. (650) 852-3502. www.paloaltojcc.org/tolife.

singles

saturday | 13

Sonoma Coast hike. In the North Bay. Bay Area Jewish Singles Hiking Club. At Blind Beach parking lot. noon. $3. (707) 865-0228.

sunday | 14

Mill Valley, Muir Woods, Tourist Club hike. In Marin. Bay Area Jewish Singles Hiking Club. Meet behind Book Depot, 87 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 11 a.m. $3. (510) 772-7853.

Breakfast and Banter. Mensch Link. Also Sept. 21 and 28. At NETO, 135 Castro St., Mountain View. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (650) 906-2827. [email protected]

friday | 19

“The So Vahts Nu? Jewish Singles Dance Party.” Mensch Link. At Michaels at Shoreline, 2960 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. 8 p.m.-midnight. $20-$25. (650) 906-2827.

saturday | 20

Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve hike. In the South Peninsula. Bay Area Jewish Singles Hiking Club. 3 p.m. $3. (408) 738-1319.

sunday | 21

Point Reyes Sculptured Beach and beach walk. In Marin. Bay Area Jewish Singles Hiking Club. At Point Reyes Laguna parking lot. 11:30 a.m. $3. (925) 228-4213.