Go hug a tree for Tu B’Shevat
Happy New Year of the Trees! Tu B’Shevat is being celebrated across the Bay Area in creative ways: Urban Adamah’s adults-only farm seder has the theme “Seven Sacred Species” (drinks included). Wilderness Torah’s half-day “Tu B’Shevat in the Redwoods” also includes a seder, plus meditation and singing in the woods. And for city folks, trees and nature will be front and center at EcoJews’ “Festival for the Trees,” with organic food, drinks, live music and speaker Jared Blumenfeld from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Urban Adamah’s “Tu B’Shevat Farm Seder,” 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1050 Parker St., Berkeley. $30-$50. www.urbanadamah.org
Wilderness Torah’s “Tu B’Shevat in the Redwoods,” 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 at Roberts Regional Recreation Area, Oakland. Prices vary; advance tickets only. www.wildernesstorah.org
EcoJews’ “Festival for the Trees,” 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Women’s Building, 3543 18th St., S.F. $21-$25. www.ecojews.org
sunday/1
“Help with Your Family Tree: Brainstorming with the Mavens.” Bring genealogy questions for one-on-one guidance with experienced genealogists. At Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis St., S.F. 12 to 2 p.m. Free. www.jewishlearningworks.org/library
Yoga for Tu B’shevat. Iyengar-based yoga session with Jewish themes. No previous yoga experience required. At Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. 2 p.m. $20, free for PJCC members. www.pjcc.org
monday/2
Reception for Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Six senior educators from the Taube Koret Education Center of the POLIN museum in Warsaw will be honored at a public reception. At Graduate Theological Union, 2401 Ridge Road, Berkeley. 6 p.m. Free. RSVP requested. www.taubephilanthropies.org
wednesday/4
Rabbi Andrew Sacks. The Israeli human rights activist and director of Masorti Rabbinical Assembly talks about social justice. At JCCSF, 3200 California St., S.F. 7 p.m. $15. www.jccsf.org
thursday/5
“Seeking Justice: Strengthening Prospects for Middle East Peace.” David Makovsky, author, lecturer and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will discuss Israel, the Middle East and the peace process. Sponsored by Hillel of Silicon Valley. At Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 150 San Fernando St., San Jose. 7:30 p.m. Free. RSVP required. [email protected]
sunday/8
Thomas L. Friedman. The New York Times columnist and author speaks at the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture. Co-sponsored by Hillel at Stanford. At Cemex Auditorium, Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford. 7 p.m Free, RSVP required at [email protected].
tuesday/10
“Building, Evolving and Optimizing Strong Brands.” Professionals from the Business Leadership Council of the Jewish Community Federation talk about launching a product or company and protecting an existing brand. At Duane Morris LLP, 2475 Hanover St., Palo Alto. 6 p.m. $18-$50. www.jewishfed.org
“Making the World Safer for Our Next Generation.” A panel of European dignitaries from France, Germany, Israel and Norway will discuss the rising tide of anti-Semitism and measures taken to keep Jews safe. Co-presented by AJC San Francisco and Temple Isaiah. At Temple Isaiah, 945 Risa Road, Lafayette. 7 p.m. Free. [email protected]
wednesday/11
“Jewish/Converso Food and Racial Profiling in Fifteenth-Century Spain.” Presentation by University of Washington professor Ana Gòmez-Bravo. At CSRE Conference Room, Building 360, Stanford University, Stanford. 4 p.m. Free. jewishstudies.stanford.edu
thursday/12
“The Holocaust in Every Tongue.” Graduate Theological Union professor Naomi Seidman will discuss how differences in translation and language affected the world’s perception of the Holocaust. In conjunction with “Alive! A La Vie!” exhibit. At S.F. Public Library, 100 Larkin St. 6 p.m. Free. www.lehrhaus.org or www.sfpl.org
Who were the Hellmans?
Isaias was the pioneer. The first Hellman to move to California, he became its first banker and gave rise to one of the most established and successful Jewish families in the state’s history. His great-granddaughter, best-selling author and journalist Frances Dinkelspiel, will discuss her family’s history, from patriarch to present. The lecture, focusing on the late philanthropist and bluesman Warren Hellman, is presented in conjunction with the CJM’s “Hardly Strictly Warren Hellman” exhibit.
6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. Included with $5-$10 museum admission. www.thecjm.org