Panim el Panim, a busy five-day series of lectures and social action workshops led by 10 visiting Israeli women, is coming to the Bay Area to help women discover “the Israel they don’t know.”
Panim el Panim will run from Jan. 26 to Jan. 30 at various locations including Palo Alto, Burlingame, San Francisco and Tiburon — culminating with an already sold-out two-day Shabbat retreat in Half Moon Bay.
Called a “reverse mission,” Panim el Panim (Hebrew for “face to face”) aims to build bridges between Israeli and American Jewish women. It is being presented by the Israel Center and Women’s Philanthropy division, both of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to make women understand Israel as it is today,” said Noa Turgeman, a program director at the Israel Center. “Women who are interested in Israel can find the new Israel they don’t know. They will be inspired and engaged with the federation, Israel and their own Jewish identity.”
The visiting Israelis specialize in areas of social justice and Jewish pluralism. They work on issues such as gender equality, environmental protection, improving Israeli-Palestinian relations, technology, economic development and child welfare.
Although the Shabbat retreat at the Oceano Hotel and Spa in Half Moon Bay is sold out, other programs are open and free of charge, though RSVP is required. To see a full schedule with location details, visit www.panim2.wordpress.com. For further information, call (415) 512-6292 or e-mail women @sfjcf.org.