Happenings
Temple Beth El Aptos dedicated a new Holocaust memorial on Sept. 7 at Home of Peace Cemetery in Santa Cruz. Local artist Peter Hanson crafted the vast monument using 17 tons of granite. The project was envisioned by synagogue member and cemetery volunteer Terry Feinberg Spodick, and was completed in just a year thanks to the support of donors.
Jewish Federation Bay Area is the new name of what has long been known as the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. The Federation is the largest funder of Jewish causes in California, supporting Jewish identity through philanthropy and collective action. “Now more than ever, the Federation is leading the way in building strong, vibrant Jewish life in San Francisco,” said Laura Lauder, board chair. “This rebrand reinforces our vision to catalyze and convene Jews in this heightened moment of need for strengthening community here in the Bay Area, Israel and around the world.”
Jewish Heritage Night with the San Francisco Giants was held on Sept. 9 at Oracle Park. The event, sponsored by JCCSF and Value Culture, offered a keepsake Giants menorah and entertained with live music from acoustic trio SHAMATi and kids’ activities. The Consulate General of Israel brought Uriel Bohbot to throw the ceremonial first pitch. He is the brother of Elkana Bohbot, who has been held hostage in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
Honors
Ben Stern, the late Holocaust survivor and Berkeley activist who died last year, was honored on Sept. 14 alongside his late wife, Helen Kielmanowicz Stern, with a dedicated ambulance for Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Stern survived two ghettos, nine concentration camps and two death marches by the age of 24. He was a longtime member of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley where the ceremony was held. “My parents deeply loved Israel,” said Charlene Stern, “and they embraced the lifesaving work of Magen David Adom.”
Awards
Jewish Federation Bay Area and Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco received the Synergy for Change Award at the 2025 Donor Advised Funds Giving Summit in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes innovative models of giving that strengthen relationships, maximize resources and drive meaningful change. From 2020 through 2025, the Federation seeded $6M to support thousands of Hebrew Free Loan borrowers.
Comings and Goings
Andrea Lingenfelter of Berkeley is the first female president of the Sino-Judaic Institute, a national organization that studies and supports historical and modern Jewish communities in China. She also is the managing editor of Asia Pacific Perspectives, an interdisciplinary journal of the Center for Asia Pacific Studies, at the University of San Francisco.
Jacqueline Neuwirth is the new board president of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. She previously served on the JFCS board and the public affairs committee. Said Neuwirth, “We are in an urgent time for our community, and the next few years will bring real challenges for those we serve. I am honored and humbled to take on this role, as we work to meet these challenges head-on.”
Robby Adler Peckerar is the new executive director of New Lehrhaus as of Sept. 1. Peckerar is an educator and cultural historian who has served as director of education at the Yiddish Book Center and assistant professor of Jewish culture at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He was also the executive director of Yiddishkayt in Los Angeles for 14 years. Peckerar succeeds outgoing director and New Lehrhaus co-founder Rachel Biale, who will continue on as an adviser.
Rabbi Dave Spinrad is the new rabbi at Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville. Spinrad previously served as the senior rabbi at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, and assistant rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta. He also worked on the board of trustees of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and for a number of CCAR’s committees. Spinrad follows departing Rabbi Emeritus Dan Goldblatt, who was Beth Chaim’s spiritual leader for 30 years.
Eli Witkin is the new program director at Wilderness Torah. Witkin is an educator with a background in wilderness education, experiential programing and classroom teaching. He co-founded the school farm at Gann Academy, a Jewish high school in Massachusetts. Witkin’s new role began with the month of Elul.
Opportunities
The Jewish Film Institute’s Filmmaker Residency is accepting applications for its 2025-2026 cohort. The program is a year-long, primarily virtual artist residency with an in-person convening at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in July. JFI provides creative support and professional development for independent filmmakers whose projects connect to Judaism in some way. Applications accepted through Oct. 20.
Visit tinyurl.com/filmmaker-residency for more information.
LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture is accepting applications for its Bay Area 2026 fellowship cohort. LABA seeks visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians and actors to study classic Jewish texts and create art in response. Applications accepted through Nov. 1. Visit tinyurl.com/LABA-fellowship for more information.