Happenings
Mollie Stone’s Markets, a Bay Area chain of nine family-owned-and-operated grocery stores, donated $25,000 to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank amid the hunger crisis brought on by the SNAP pause. “At Mollie Stone’s, we believe everyone deserves access to good food,” said Mike Stone, CEO. “The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has been a lifeline for so many of our neighbors, and we’re honored to support their efforts. Our team and our customers share a deep commitment to making our communities stronger and healthier.” The donation will aid the food bank in providing meals to those facing food insecurity.
Paramedics Arz Heib, Lelyan Hasson and Tehila Kadosh — Muslim, Druze and Jewish, respectively — from Magen David Adom, Israel’s official representative to the International Red Cross, spoke at an Oct. 29 event at Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael titled “Voices of Courage: Diverse Women Serving One Mission.” “If we can’t work together, we can’t live together,” said Kadosh, 21, who did emergency triage under rocket fire during the hostilities with Iran earlier this year. “Magen David Adom shows that it’s possible to live, walk, and serve together. We put aside our differences and focus on what matters most: saving lives.”
Temple Beth El in Aptos recently installed a large hamsa mural by Shlome J. Hayun, a multidisciplinary artist from Los Angeles. It’s one of many in the artist’s ongoing series of hamsa art pieces. Says Hayun, “Each hamsa piece I create is one of a kind and combines vibrant visual design with a timeless cultural symbol of protection, resilience and unity.” The colorful mural stands 6 feet tall and decorates the temple’s exterior.
Awards
Eliza Roth and Reid Smith have been awarded Bronfman Campus Commons Fellowships. The semester-long program supports Jewish college students’ growth as leaders on their campuses and includes a five-day in-person retreat and several virtual sessions. Roth, raised in Palo Alto, attends New York University, where she serves as an intern at Hillel and on the social justice team at the progressive Jewish organization The Workers Circle. Smith attends Stanford University, where he majors in political science and is the co-president of Stanford Jewish Voice for Peace.
Daniel Solomon, a Ph.D. student in history at UC Berkeley, is the recipient of a scholarship through the JBI’s Nathan L. and Suzanne K. Wolfson Merit Award, which this year gave more than $180,000 in scholarships to 18 legally blind students. Each was recognized for exceptional academic achievements and meaningful contributions to the Jewish community.
“Being Jewish and legally blind are constitutive elements of who I am,” Solomon said. “Each structures how I move in the world as a person and scholar. It is refreshing to be seen in full for both of these identities. JBI’s scholarship and vital work offers me and others this indispensable form of recognition. I hope to be a service of both of these communities, and to continue to demonstrate that blind people have a place in academia.” JBI Library, an associate agency of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress, provides free, accessible Jewish texts to blind and disabled Jews.
Comings and Goings
Deborah Kim has joined the San Francisco-based board of directors of 18Doors, a national organization dedicated to the inclusion of interfaith families in Jewish communities. Kim is a technology executive with more than 20 years of experience at companies including Apple, Amazon and Citigroup. She lives in San Francisco with her interfaith family.
Aaron Keyak has joined the advisory board of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, where he will serve as the special representative on international affairs. He previously worked as deputy special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism at the U.S. State Department during the Biden administration. Keyak grew up attending Adath Israel, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in San Francisco. He served as communications director for the National Jewish Democratic Council during Barack Obama’s first run for president, and later served in a number of political and PR roles. Discussing his values with J. in 2015, he said, “Too often the Jewish people have been on the other side, where the state would infringe on our religious liberties and liberties in general. I don’t want the government in the bedroom, and I want it out of my shul.”
Opportunities
Jewish LearningWorks is now accepting nominations for the Ruby Award, which recognizes excellence in Jewish teen education and engagement. The award was established in 2020 in collaboration with the San Francisco Teen Initiative and is named for the late Robert Ruby, a Bay Area philanthropist who worked extensively with Jewish education programs. Award recipients receive an $1,800 honorarium. Nominations accepted until Dec. 15. Find out more at jewishlearning.works/ruby-award.
Mitzvah Power Academy welcomes children ages 5-10 to submit an imaginary news story based on the headline “Super Menschy Dreidel Saves the Day!” Entries can be submitted as a story, song, photo, video or comic. All participants will receive a Super Menschy Club News Press Badge, be featured in the Super Menschy Club News and receive a Hanukkah surprise. Top winners in the story, song, photo, video and comic categories receive a copy of Mitzvah Power Academy’s new book “Maccabee Mensch-Venture & Chanukah Fun Book.” The grand-prize winner receives a kids’ camera. Entries accepted until Dec. 22. Learn more at mitzvahpower.com.