Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 24, 2020

Honors

The JCC of the East Bay has been awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency by GuideStar, which collects and analyzes information on nonprofit organizations. Platinum is the highest level awarded, indicating an organization with a commitment to financial and operational transparency.

Robinn Magid of Berkeley has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, which includes more than 90 organizations from around the world. The award was presented Aug. 12 at the virtual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. Magid has been involved with Jewish genealogy for 30 years, most recently as assistant director of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland. She was also the chair of this years IAJGS Conference and in 2018 chaired the groups first conference in Eastern Europe, in Warsaw.

Freada Kapor Klein has been named Alumna of the Year by the Cal Alumni Association of UC Berkeley. Klein and her husband, Mitch Kapor, are well known for their philanthropy in Silicon Valley and Oakland, where their Kapor Center for Social Impact is located. An article by the alumni association celebrated her as a victims advocate long before #MeToo. Speaking to J. in 2017 about her undergraduate studies, she said, I chose Berkeley because of the strength of its activism in the anti-war movement, civil rights and feminism. Isnt that how everyone chooses a college?

The S.F.-based Jewish Community Relations Council has announced two new hires and two promotions. Jonathan Mitzner is the new external relations director and Nieema Galloway is the new program and communications manager for the Jewish Coalition for Literacy. Mitzner previously served as associate director of the Anti-Defamation League in Chicago. Jessica Sterling has been promoted to Jewish community and education outreach manager and Judy Pam-Bycel to senior program manager for the Jewish Coalition for Literacy.

The JCRC also announced several new board members: real estate investor Laurie Beijen of San Francisco; Sephora USA senior manager of inclusion and diversity Christina Jefferson of San Francisco; Sue Ann Schiff of San Francisco, former assistant dean of the UC Berkeley law school; Peter Yolles of Marin, an impact investor at Helios Capital Ventures; Greg Zale, marketing director at Hebrew Free Loan; and disaster planner and researcher Carla Mays of San Francisco, who will serve on the board for one year as the Federation Fellow.

Cantor Toby Glaser is the new cantor at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco. He is originally from Melbourne, Australia, where he sang in operas and choirs before working as cantorial soloist at the citys largest Reform synagogue. He was ordained at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in New York in May. Im thrilled Cantor Glaser is joining our clergy team, said Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf in a release. In thinking about the next cantor for Sherith Israel, we wanted to find someone who would bring music thats joyful and creative and who would be a full participant in all aspects of community life. Glaser led his first Shabbat service (via Zoom) on July 31. He succeeds Cantor David Frommer, who is now the Jewish chaplain at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Francesco Spagnolo has been named scholar-in-residence of the Jews in Music Initiative of the S.F.-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale. Spagnolo is the curator of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life and an associate adjunct professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Music.

Deborah Banks is the new director of development for the Magnes. She previously served as director of leadership giving at the San Francisco Opera and director of development at Aurora Theatre Company.

Liora Brosbe is the new senior educator at Jewish LearningWorks. The team at Jewish LearningWorks is thrilled to welcome beloved educator Liora Brosbe to our team, the organization said in a statement. Her work will promote inclusion services and training, support family educators and focus on social emotional learning in service of our mission to elevate the art of Jewish teaching and the practice of Jewish learning.

Congregation Bnai Emunah and Congregation Beth Israel Judea, both of San Francisco, have announced the two-year appointment of Rabbi Samuel Barth to the position of transitional rabbi. He previously has served as an interim rabbi in Madison, Wisconsin; Buffalo, New York; and Minneapolis. He also taught liturgy and prayer at the Jewish Theological Seminary and served as a dean at the Academy for Jewish Religion. Barth and Beth Israel Judeas Rabbi Danny Gottlieb will work together as Gottlieb begins to transition into the role of rabbi emeritus. Bnai Emunah celebrated its outgoing leader, Rabbi Pam Frydman, with a Zoom party on July 19. An email from the congregation noted that everyone was wishing her well as she pursues new challenges and adventures.

Excerpt from:
Honors, happenings, comings & goings August 2020 J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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