U.C. Davis plans first ‘green’ Hillel house in country
Plans are under way to build the first “green” Hillel building in the country, at U.C. Davis.
Larry Fahn, a Davis alumnus and president of the Sierra Club, will speak with Rabbi Mona Alfi, director of Hillel at Davis and Sacramento, at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at a private home in Piedmont. The event will offer U.C. Davis alumni and parents of current students a sneak preview of plans for the new Hillel house on the Davis campus.
Information: Marla Kolman , (510) 522-3026 or [email protected].
Baptist author to convert to Judaism
Mary Bly Howe, whose book “A Baptist Among the Jews” was the subject of a feature story in j. last June, has decided to take the Judaic plunge.
The Dallas-based author will officially convert to Judaism in a ceremony set to happen April 3 at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas.
Officiating will be Rabbis David Stern and David Nelson.
Howe’s book described her long affiliation with Baptism and how she had been inexorably drawn to Judaism in recent years.
She appeared in the Bay Area last summer as part of a book tour.
Film documents world gathering of religious leaders
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, is featured in the new documentary “Freaks Like Me.”
Filmed in Barcelona in 2004, where 7,000 interfaith religious leaders convened from around the world for the 2004 Parliament of the World’s Religions, the film explores how religion can provide a catalyst for building a more tolerant world.
“Freaks Like Me” will be screened as part of the Cinequest Film Festival’s short program DocuNation. Shows are 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9 at Camera 12, 201 S. Second St., San Jose. Information: (408) 995-5033 or www.cinequest.org.
Athletic courts installed at Palo Alto JCC site
The future home of the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center may not be ready until 2008, but sports facilities that can be utilized much sooner have been installed in the parking lot.
A set of basketball hoops is already in place, with inline skating, soccer, volleyball and picnic areas to follow.
Organized sports programs are planned for the near future.
Emanu-El confirmation class plans 40th reunion
Members of San Francisco Congregation Emanu-El’s confirmation class of 1965 are seeking fellow classmates for a 40th reunion Aug. 20.
After morning services at the synagogue, a reunion buffet will be held at the synagogue’s Guild Hall.
The 94-member class, believed to be one of the largest in that era, has been unable to locate about 30 of its members.
If you have information, please contact Lynn Perazzi Dunlop, [email protected] or (650) 997-0404.
Genealogical conference slated for Las Vegas
The 25th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy will be held July 10 to 15 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Speakers include Stephen P. Morse of San Francisco, creator of “One Step,” a time-saving genealogical search engine.
Presentations will include how-to information on researching Jewish genealogy and the history of Jews in Eastern Europe, investigating lesser-known communities and using online tools. Activities include luncheons and meetings with those focusing on specific interests, regions or shtetls. Participants will have access to multiple databases.
The event is sponsored by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and hosted by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada. Conference registration rates are $200 through May 1, $230 after, with hotel rates of $61 per night for early registrants. Information: www.jewishgen.org/jgs/jgs-southernnevada/Shelley/home.htm.