Fundraising Event
The Jewish community knows how to give, and it knows how to celebrate. That’s why Jewish fundraisers are such successful, lively events.
The Jewish Community High School of the Bay held its 10th annual gala in May at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. School supporters Mem Dryan Bernstein and Warren Hellman were the night’s honorees. Featuring performances by Hellman’s band the Wronglers and JCHS students, the event raised $700,000 for the school’s tuition assistance program.
Oakland Hebrew Day School’s gala recognized members of the community who have helped the school achieve excellence in Israel education. “Israel is so important to Jewish studies, and the enthusiasm and appreciation within our community is one that we are happy to recognize,” says head of school Rabbi Yehudah Potok. The night featured student speakers and art modeled after works of famous Israeli artists. The event raised $730,000 and will support the school’s programming, financial aid and professional staff development.
The Peninsula JCC in Foster City has celebrated Jewish life with its annual benefit and auction for more than 60 years. The most recent gala included cocktails, live and silent auctions and a celebration of early childhood director Judy Garb’s 25 years of service. Some 300 attendees helped raise a record-breaking $250,000 for the PJCC’s programs and special-needs learning.
Congregation Shir Shalom will host its second Jewish Winemakers Tasting and Nosh in October in downtown Sonoma. “The event is a great way for community members to come together to mingle and also to learn about the Jewish history in wine making,” says chairman Avram Goldman. The Sonoma synagogue makes all the food for the event and encourages nonmembers to participate. The money raised will support Jewish education.
San Francisco
Jewish Community High School of the Bay
(415) 345-9777 • www.jchsofthebay.org
East Bay
Oakland Hebrew Day School
Oakland
(510) 531-8600 • www.ohds.org
Peninsula/South Bay
Peninsula JCC
Foster City
(650) 212-7522 • www.pjcc.org
North Bay
Congregation Shir Shalom
Sonoma
(707) 935-3636 • www.shir-shalom.org
JCC
Jewish community centers have the word “community” in their name for good reason: Anyone who comes in the doors is welcome. Speakers, classes, holiday celebrations, fitness centers and family entertainment are a few of the offerings that make a JCC feel like a second home to so many people.
The JCC of San Francisco sponsors more than 1,000 programs, including arts, culture, recreation and Jewish learning. “We’re very proud of our cultural center,” says Nathaniel Bergson-Michelson, director of communications and marketing. “We offer more than 100 lectures and performances every year.” In the spring, the center hosted the Temptations for a night of fun and music. Proceeds from that event will support recreational and cultural activities at the center.
JCC of the East Bay prides itself on “making community the center” of all that it does, says marketing director Samantha Young. The center expanded this year, opening an Oakland branch for the afterschool program. “We offer more specialized programs under our Chugim section,” says Young of the organization’s enrichment workshops, which include such offerings as circus arts, dance, drumming, fort building, cooking and sports.
At the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, members are a part of the “Live Fully” vision, participating in activities that promote a healthy and long life. “We have a very active and vibrant community,” says Liz Torczyner, marketing communications manager. Many members take advantage of the group exercise classes and personal trainer sessions offered year-round.
The Peninsula JCC “is much more than a Jewish center for culture and wellness,” says Eileen Mitchell, marketing and communications manager. This year the Foster City center started a Sunday farmers market to promote healthy eating and sustainable living. The PJCC also offers a “get up and go program,” a transportation service for seniors.
The Osher Marin JCC, which shares its campus with Congregation Rodef Sholom and Brandeis Hillel Day School, is a very popular destination in Marin County. So popular, in fact, it often sells out events, such as a four-day cultural art trip in September to explore Broadway musicals in New York City.
San Francisco
JCC of San Francisco
(415) 292-1200 • www.jccsf.org
East Bay
JCC of the East Bay
Berkeley
(510) 848-0237 • www.prod.jcceastbay.org
Peninsula/South Bay
Oshman Family JCC
Palo Alto
(650) 223-8700 • www.paloaltojcc.org
Peninsula JCC
Foster City
(650) 212-7522 • www.pjcc.org
North Bay
Osher Marin JCC
San Rafael
(415) 444-8000 • www.marinjcc.org
Local Agency
The Bay Area Jewish community is vibrant and diverse, and no one understands that better than local agencies. How else can you explain their successful record of supporting such an expansive variety of Jewish interests, concerns and needs?
Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco has supported the community for 160 years. With more than 40 programs and services targeting a range of clients, JFCS takes pride in helping everyone from Holocaust survivors to new parents, immigrants to children. Popular programs include Adoption Connection, Parents Place and Seniors at Home.
Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay, founded in 1877, has a similar mission, assisting residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. “We have programs serving clients anywhere from early childhood all the way to seniors,” says Holly Taines White, director of grants and communications. The agency’s annual gala, the Art of Living, this year featured Professor Robert Reich of U.C. Berkeley.
The Mid/North Peninsula branch of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, based in San Mateo, offers the same valuable services and programs as its sister agencies. One example is Kavod Crew, a volunteer program for teenagers who visit the elderly or deliver meals to the needy. The San Mateo branch also maintains a food pantry and support services for single parents, Holocaust survivors and children with special needs.
In the 1970s, Jewish Family and Children’s Services branched out into Marin County. The regional office provides the same essential services as JFCS in San Francisco, such as senior care and Parents Place. An annual gala in San Francisco is a reminder of the strong relationship between the two locations. “We’re one agency, and we celebrate together,” says branch director Nancy Masters.
San Francisco
Jewish Family
and Children’s Services
(415) 449-1200 • www.jfcs.org
East Bay
Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay
Berkeley
(510) 704-7475 • www.jfcs-eastbay.org
Peninsula/South Bay
Jewish Family and Children’s Services
San Mateo
(650) 931-1800 • www.jfcs.org
North Bay
Jewish Family and Children’s Services
San Rafael
(415) 491-7960 • www.jfcs.org
Place to Volunteer
Tikkun olam, repairing the world, is an important tenet of Judaism. Organizations that facilitate volunteer efforts also provide a Jewish framework, giving dedicated volunteers a way to reach out and help those in need.
The poor, the hungry, the sick, the needy, new immigrants, children, teenagers, seniors and many more in need of assistance have friends who want to help at Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco. “We have nearly 2,000 volunteers,” says Rachel Kesselman, director of volunteer services. “Anyone of any background, any religion or any age can call us and express an interest in volunteering,” she says. “We encourage and love for anyone to apply.”
The Friendship Circle in Palo Alto has been matching teenage volunteers with special-needs children since 2003. The matched pairs do activities together, such as celebrating holidays. The program has mutual benefits — the children get extra attention, and the teenagers know they have made a difference in their community, says Rabbi Ezzy Schusterman, executive director.
Oakland Hebrew Day School won in the East Bay region, and Jewish Family and Children’s Services won in the North Bay.
San Francisco
Jewish Family and Children’s Services
(415) 449-1200 • www.jfcs.org
East Bay
Oakland Hebrew Day School
Oakland
(510) 531-8600 • www.ohds.org
Peninsula/South Bay
Bay Area Friendship Circle
Palo Alto
(650) 858-6990 • www.bayareafc.org
North Bay
Jewish Family and Children’s Services
San Rafael
(415) 491-7960 • www.jfcs.org