saturday/6
Josh Kornbluth. Monologist performs “Ben Franklin: Unplugged.” At Temple Israel Alameda, 3183 Mecartney Road, Alameda. 8 p.m. $25-$30. www.tinyurl.com/josh-performs.
sunday/7
Genealogy clinic. With San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society. At BJE Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis St., S.F. 12 p.m. Registration requested. Free. www.bjesf.org/adults_events.htm.
Book talk by Michael Cooper. Author discusses “Foxes in the Vineyard,” his novel about a son searching for his archaeologist father on the eve of the Israeli War of Independence. At Congregation B’nai Israel, 1256 Nebraska St., Vallejo. 10:45 a.m. Free. www.bnaisrael.weebly.com. Also Oct. 10 at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley. 7 p.m. Free. www.bethelberkeley.org.
“Drawn Out Stories.” Comic artists describe their creative process. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 3:30 p.m. Included with admission. www.thecjm.org.
wednesday/10
“How to Plan an Independent Bar/Bat Mitzvah.” Information session with Arik Labowitz. At JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. 11 a.m. Free. Also Oct. 11 at Afikomen Judaica, 3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley 6:45 p.m. Free. www.ariklabowitz.com.
thursday/11
Book talk by Madeline Levine. Author and education expert discusses “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success.” At Menlo Atherton Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton. 7 p.m. Free. www.keplers.com
“Wine, Women and Words.” Authors Amy Sohn (“Prospect Park West”) and Katie Crouch (“Girls in Trucks”) in conversation. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 7 p.m. $10, advance tickets suggested. www.thecjm.org.
“Elections 2012: A Jewish Non-Partisan Perspective.” Four-session course applies Talmud to controversial political issues. At Congregation Beth Jacob, 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City. 7:30 p.m. Free. www.chabadmidpen.com.
saturday/13
Book talk by Marty Brounstein. Author discusses “Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust.” At Martinez Public Library, 740 Court St., Martinez. 1:30 p.m. (925) 646-9921. Also Oct. 14 at Temple Beth El, 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo. 2 p.m. Free. (650) 342-1627. Also Oct. 16 at St. Teresa of Avila Church, 1490 19th St., S.F. 7 p.m. (415) 285-5272.
Book talk by Rabbi Joshua Plaut. Author of “Kosher Christmas: ’Tis the Season to Be Jewish,” in conversation with j. editor Sue Fishkoff. Part of Litquake’s Berkeley Ramble. At Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley. 1 p.m. Free. www.magnes.org. Also Oct. 15 at Peninsula Temple Sholom, 1655 Sebastian Drive, Burlingame. 9:15 a.m. Nonmember donation requested. www.sholom.org. (See story, 22a)
sunday/14
Winning the White House. Samuel L. Popkin, U.C. San Diego political scientist and author, on the presidential race. At Congregation Kol Shofar, 215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon. 10 a.m. Free. www.kolshofar.org.
Forum on state propositions. Discussion of anti-death penalty and three-strikes-rule measures. At Congregation Shomrei Torah, 2600 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 3 p.m. www.shomreitorah.org.
“The Ferocity of Jewish Intellectual Debate.” Rabbi Daniel Landes on open debate and opposing ideas of the Talmud. At Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. 4 p.m. Free. RSVP requested to (415) 292-1233 or [email protected]. www.jccsf.org.
Book reading by Mani Feniger. Author discusses “The Woman in the Photograph: The Search for My Mother’s Past,” her memoir on reconstructing her German-Jewish mother’s life. At Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 1 p.m. Free. Also Oct. 15 at Albany Library, 1277 Marin Ave., Albany. 12:30 p.m. Free. Also Oct. 17 at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Fireside Room, 2727 College Ave., Berkeley. 7 p.m. By donation. www.manifeniger.com.
monday/15
“Jews and Ukrainians in Russia’s Literary Borderlands.” Book presentation by U.C. San Diego professor Amelia Glaser on Jewish, Russian and Ukrainian writers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At BJE Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis St., S.F. 7 p.m. Free. www.bjesf.org/adults_events.htm.
“What Is Jewish Studies?” Discussion featuring professors Jeffrey Shandler of Rutgers University and John Efron of U.C. Berkeley. At Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley. 5 p.m. Free. www.magnes.org.
tuesday/16
“Religious Verse of Many Nations.” Class on religious poetry across cultures with Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man. Four sessions through Nov. 6. At Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave., Berkeley. 7:30 p.m. $10. www.netivottest.org.
thursday/18
Poetry reading. Poets Dan Bellm and Chana Bloch read new and old works. At Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley. 7:30 p.m. Free. www.bethelberkeley.org.