‘You Be the Judge’: The great Talmud debate

In a six-week course taught at 14 locations, students can participate in “You Be the Judge,” an interactive study of the Talmud’s civil law.

The series is being offered through the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, an offshoot of Chabad-Lubavitch. The course explores six case studies of Jewish law that encourage debate among students. 

The series, beginning Feb. 11 or 12 in most cities, will be offered in San Mateo, Palo Alto, Cupertino, San Jose, San Rafael, Mill Valley, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Napa, Roseville, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Stockton.

While the class is open to everyone, it has been approved for continuing legal education credits by the California State Bar.

For more information, contact North Peninsula instructor Yosef Marcus at (650) 483-8324 or visit www.myjli.com.

Contra Costa Midrasha slates fundraiser

Contra Costa Midrasha, an educational program for East Bay Jewish teens, is having a fundraiser from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at Congregation B’nai Tikvah, 25 Hillcroft Way, Walnut Creek.

The event will feature guest speaker John Rothmann, KGO 810 radio talk show host and frequent lecturer on American political history and the Middle East. Midrasha students will also speak. There will be a gourmet appetizer and dessert reception.

Tickets are $45 general public, $36 seniors and educators, and can be purchase at www.brown papertickets.com. For information, call Devra Aarons at (925) 944-4701 or e-mail [email protected].

Norm Coleman looks at future of party

Norm Coleman, whose Senate re-election bid is still pending, will lead a discussion on the current state of the Republican Party at a Republican Jewish Coalition gathering Feb. 19 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

Recently named a national RJC consultant and strategic adviser, Coleman will speak about how the party can rebuild and move forward. The senator from Minnesota is contesting his Nov. 4 loss to Democrat Al Franken by 225 votes.

The meeting will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Presidio Room of the hotel, 2 Montgomery St., San Francisco. RSVP to Doris Ohayon at (310) 478-0752 or [email protected].

Honoring the Bobs

Rabbi Ari Cartun of Congregation Etz Chayim in Palo Alto pays tribute to Ellen and Shirley Bob, the mother and daughter team who recently closed bob and bob fine Jewish gifts and books, after 26 years on the South Peninsula. The two were feted Jan. 31 at the start of the BJE Feast of Jewish Learning at Congregation Beth Am. They received plaques thanking them “for your contributions to Jewish life and education.”

UpStart begins ‘How Do You Jew’ series

UpStart Bay Area, a new nonprofit incubator for Jewish innovators, is starting a new series of communitywide forums called “How Do You Jew?”

The first talk begins at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at UpStart Bay Area, 88 First St., Suite 500, San Francisco.

The subject of the first talk is “How Do You Jew on the Environment?”

The “How Do You Jew” series seeks to create a space for dialogue about how Jewish identity impacts the way we act in the world.

RSVP to Jonathan Kurshan at [email protected] or (415) 536-5918 ext. 302.

correction

The article “Old mansion, new name” (Celebrations supplement, Jan. 16) contained errors. The house was purchased in 1906 by Isaias Hellman Jr., who died in 1920 and was also known as Marco, and his wife, Frances Jacobi Hellman. The children in the photo should have been identified as the children of Marco and Frances Hellman, not of Isaias and Esther Hellman.