Doing good works
In her latest “job” as executive vice chair of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, Rita Semel (who is retired exec of the Jewish Community Relations Council) continues to bring communities of faith together. At least 10 congregations, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, will join in the council’s upcoming project — building a home for Habitat for Humanity. The house is one of 12 that are being built in San Francisco’s Oceanview neighborhood. Congregation Emanu-El represents the Jewish community, and congregant David Sobel is spearheading the effort there. There’s an $80,000 price tag for the project and Rita is pounding the corporate pavements for backing. The Interfaith Council welcomes donations from anyone who can help. Contact Rita at [email protected].
Rita was also honored Saturday, Feb. 5, at the second annual “Circles of Light” dinner hosted by the United Religions Initiative at Alexandra’s at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.
In Marin County, a group is gearing up to help feed refugees from the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Gerri Miller, leads the effort, and Gayle Donsky; Susan Cohen; Tamar, Reuven and Yudit Segev; Debby Rose; and Alyssa Ralston are among the planners for a fund-raiser called “Dear Sudan, Love Marin,” modeled after a successful drive in Petaluma. The short-range goal is to raise 18 cents — the cost of feeding a refugee from Darfur for a day — for each resident of Marin, or a total of $40,000. Stay tuned.
Admirable artists and dashing dudes
They didn’t begin their careers as artists, but two Marin residents are branching out with public exhibits of their paintings. Choreographer and dancer Cynthia Pepper says her just-closed exhibit in Mill Valley included monoprints and watercolors of “animals and color and fun shapes.”A member of Congregation Rodef Sholom, Cynthia grew up in Utah where she and Rodef Sholom’s Rabbi Stacy Friedman went to school together.
Dr. Don Linker’s pastels are on display at the Osher Marin JCC. “They are colorful, abstract, whimsical and fun. Take a look,” he suggests. Proceeds from the sale go to the JCC.
More fun with Don … The Nob Hill Gazette named him, along with Richard Goldman (community leader and environmentalist), Steven Kay (S.F. 49ers attorney) and Craig Newmark (of craigslist.com) and others to their 10th annual most “Dashing Dudes” list, composed (according to the Gazette) of the most “attractive, eligible and geographically desirable” men.
More than an installation
Setting up Christo and Jean Claude’s “Gates” project in New York’s Central Park was quite a happening, reports Greenbrae’s Judy Erdberg, whose son Danny Erdberg was a volunteer. Danny, who is looking for a job in television, theater or film there, was interviewed for several newspapers and told his parents that the reporters outnumbered volunteers two to one.
Overwhelming press or not, Esther Nichol (of San Francisco) said that as the saffron fabric was unfurled there was a wonderful peaceful feeling, and lots of congeniality among the crowds. San Francisco violinist Randy Weiss agreed, noting that social interaction is a key part of any great art installation. “The park was awash in color — it was quite brilliant to schedule it at this time of year.” He came home with a two-by-two souvenir swatch of the saffron fabric, which he pulled out of his wallet to show to this reporter. He plans to “do something artistic” with it to always remind him of the beauty of the “Gates.”
Correction: Tanya Zeif was the Brandeis Hillel Day School third-grader whose winning poster on coexistence in Israel is traveling with the exhibit. Mazel tov to Tanya.
Suzan Berns is a freelance writer and publicist. She welcomes submissions of cute, poignant or informational anecdotes about you and your organizations at [email protected].