Come celebrate at Israel in the Gardens

For 60, Israel is looking quite spry these days. The economy is booming. Tourism is way up. And though security threats and internal divisions remain, Israel deserves all the plaudits pouring in on this milestone anniversary.

Now it’s the Bay Area’s turn to throw a birthday party for Israel.

The annual Israel in the Gardens daylong bash is coming up on Sunday, June 1. All we can say is: Run, don’t walk, to Yerba Buena Gardens this Sunday.

All the usual spectacle will be back: World-class entertainment, delicious food, fine Israeli goods for sale, engaging activities for all ages — young children, teens and adults.

Also, as always, representatives from key Bay Area Jewish communal agencies, synagogues and federations will be on hand, meeting and shmoozing with the people they serve.

As for the entertainment, this year organizers landed some big names, including the internationally acclaimed Idan Raichel Project and singer Neshama Carlebach.

Raichel blends Ethiopian, Arab and other ethnic strains with a solid rock base. Carlebach, daughter of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, has carried on her father’s tradition, singing sacred Jewish music in a popular idiom.

By now an Israel in the Gardens tradition, the ever-popular fashion show will feature clothing by up-and-coming Israeli designers. Nearly 60 models include leading figures in the local Jewish community strutting their stuff down the runway.

Designs by Orly Rosenbaum

Across the way at the Metreon, look for Israeli films, children’s posters and a first-ever cake auction fundraiser.

But the most important part of the line-up at Israel in the Gardens is you.

We don’t need to remind our readers that those who would harm Israel never rest. Their propaganda offensive never ceases. For them, the destruction of Israel remains an obsession, and unfortunately they have too many allies around the world.

But every year, on this day, the Bay Area Jewish community has an opportunity to turn out in huge numbers –– around 20,000 on average –– to wave the Israeli flag, to sing, dance and shout out our love of Israel.

Every year we have this chance to stand up to the Israel bashers, the doubters and naysayers, and show our unwavering support for the Jewish state.

Every year we can make this very joyous, very public stand.

But it only works if you are there to be counted. So please set aside Sunday, June 1, and come to the Gardens. The falafel tastes great, the weather is always perfect and you couldn’t have a better time anywhere else.

We’ll see you there. Please stop by the j. booth and say “Shalom.”

- Op-ed reprinted from the j.

Federation and Facebook

Did you catch the article in this week’s j. on our Diller Teen Fellowship using Facebook to communicate with each other and connect with their peers in Israel?

They aren’t the only ones at the Federation who have jumped on the Facebook bandwagon.

For this weekend’s festivities, we posted two event invites on Facebook, one for Israel in the Gardens, and one for the After Party. As of now, our Gardens event has 785+ confirmed guests! Of course, you are more than welcome to join us as well: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16340291419

Our Young Adults Division and LGBT Alliance have also taken advantage of the Facebook groups, with 478 and 95 members respectively.

Israel in the Gardens: What’s a birthday without cake? True confections to be auctioned off

“Let them eat cake” is not a phrase that preceded a pleasant moment in history. John Dellar would like to take it a little further though. Not only does he hope the general population will eat cake, he intends to make them pay top dollar for it.

Dellar is the organizer of the Israel in the Gardens cake auction. He asked 15 Bay Area chefs to tax their imaginations and craft elaborate
— and, needless to say, delicious — birthday cakes.

This is a bit of a change for Dellar, who chairs the homeless shelter food program Hamotzi at “Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco. But the money raised from the cake silent auction also goes to a good cause: Operation Atzmaut, which aids Ethiopian Israelis living in Sderot.

During the June 1 celebration, the cakes will be available for public viewing (and bidding) at the Metreon, on the second floor near the Action Theatre. Yet what we will see remains a mystery — two participating chefs told j. they are still bandying about ideas.

“I’m thinking of a getting a Star of David raised out of the cake on an angle with a rainbow coming out of it. I might use chocolate cake just because it’s something sturdy. And for frosting, I think I’ll use butter cream and cover some of it with fondant,” a pliable sugar dough, said Mica Talmor-Gott of Savoy Catering in Oakland.

Well, at least that’s the preliminary plan for Talmor-Gott, who hails from Qiryat Bialak, between Haifa and Acco. And, one must admit, that would be an elaborate cake — but not nearly as elaborate as some of Talmor-Gott’s other confections.

For a San Francisco Museum of Modern Art soiree marking the 100th birthday of Ansel Adams, Talmor-Gott recreated one of the photographer’s signature shots of Yosemite. A creek flowed between two cake mountains, with chunks of chocolate serving as boulders and meringue standing in for the snow-capped peaks. And the plates Talmor-Gott used to serve the cake? That’s right, big slabs of redwood.

Mary Sperber from San Francisco’s Town’s End restaurant is still brainstorming a theme that would “unite San Francisco and Israel,” but she hasn’t gotten anything down in frosting yet.

Sperber leans toward round cakes rather than rectangular — “I think they’re prettier” — and will use only natural colors and flavors. This is an obstacle when creating sweets that resemble other objects, though she has crafted a cake in the shape of an office building for a local law firm.

Sperber — who lists her most unusual cake experience as creating a multitiered wedding cake and shipping it, in parts, to Japan — will likely garnish her Israel cake with fresh fruits, greenery or herbs. An orange cake would be fitting — particularly Jaffa oranges — and Sperber has cooked with Israeli tomatoes (“There is such a thing as a tomato cake — but would that be too weird?”).

None of the chefs contacted by j. wanted to create a cake in the shape of Israel, however: “What borders would I put on?” queried Talmor-Gott. “That’s a political question.”

- Reprinted from the j.

Israel in the Gardens: Catwalk to offer glimpse of the future of Israeli fashion

Lihi Zwillinger, a third-year student at Shenkar, has designed a handmade vinyl outfit inspired by salt shakers and pepper mills.

Young Israeli designers will go from top of the class to the top of the bill at this year’s Israel in the Gardens’ fashion show.

Every year, the fashion show at Israel in the Gardens is a flurry of the hottest Israeli designs, offering a kaleidoscopic view of its vibrant fashion design scene. This year’s catwalk will feature looks by young designers, new trends for men and women, and a special teen line.

And as a departure from past shows, onlookers will get a rare glimpse of the future of Israel fashion. “This year our theme for the fashion show is ‘Israeli fashion — looking to the future,’” said the Israel in the Gardens director, Ronit Jacobs.

Organizers have collaborated with Shenkar College, a fashion design school in Ramat Gan, and invited its top four students to participate in this year’s show.

“Shenkar School of Fashion Design is where many of the hottest designers come from, and we thought it would be exciting and unique to get a peek at what these young designers are working on now that Israel is celebrating its 60th anniversary,” said Jacobs.

Outfit from designer Orly Roenbaum’s fall collection.

In addition to the students, at least other designers will be participating, including No-Name, Bagir Men’s and Women’s Suits and Orly Rosenbaum. About 60 members of the local Jewish community will be modeling their wares on the catwalk at 2 p.m. June 1 at Israel in the Gardens. Fashion show co-chairs are Rony Gertzberg, Dina Jacobs and Haya Barzilay.

- Reprinted from the j.

Women’s Alliance Spring Lion Event, a beautiful day on the Peninsula

San Francisco Bay Area Lions and Endowed Lions gathered on May 13 at the home of Anne Steirman, Women’s Alliance Campaign Vice Chair, and Executive Committee Member, to celebrate at our Annual Spring Lion of Judah Event. We were fortunate to have Dr. Ellen Cannon who has dedicated herself to fighting for the security of Israel and the safety of world Jewry as our guest speaker. As a national political analyst she is on the cutting edge in analyzing political issues and explaining how they impact the Jewish community and Israel. Her message was thought provoking and engaging as she discussed the future of the Jewish people, the power of the Jewish electorate in the U.S. as well as the U.S. relationship with Israel as determined by who may become the next President of the United States.

Endowed Lions of Judah participated in a coffee and conversation reception in which we discussed Jewish feminism, family and philanthropy with Dr. Cannon.

Lenore Bleadon paid tribute to the memory of the late Janet Shultz, the Bay Area’s first Endowed Lion; we will all remember her and her life with great admiration.

A wonderful time was had by all.

Israel in the Gardens AFTER PARTY

The Federation’s Young Adult and Israel Center Tzavta divisions are eager to keep the Israel in the Gardens festivities going on well past the Idan Raichel concert. To that end, they are co-hosting the Israel in the Gardens AFTER PARTY.

Israeli band Eggroll will perform a special outdoor acoustic set, and DJ Mei Lwun will bring down the house with some original mash-ups.

There will be free alcohol, light appetizers, Israeli snacks, foosball, air hockey, and pool tables. 21+

http://www.israelcentersf.org/israelinthegardens/2008/entertainment/ya.htm

Emmis - Hot off the presses

Emmis, the Federation’s monthly newsletter, hit the electronic news stands last week. The latest edition covers:

• Israel in the Gardens, a festival with 20,000 attendees, coming to us this weekend!
• The Jewish Community Endowment Fund’s Book of Life
• 2008 Annual Campaign update with the Traegers
• This blog
• Contemporary Jewish Museum’s new home - opening next month
• Upcoming events

Past editions of Emmis dating back to May 2006 are available online at http://www.sfjcf.org/aboutjcf/press/newsletters/emmis

If you would like to get Emmis or our publications in your inbox every month, sign-up for our mailing list at: http://www.sfjcf.org/aboutjcf/signupnewsletter.aspx

From the Early Childhood Classroom; Notes from the Field

The Early Childhood Center of the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center has always been on a Jewish journey. The calendar, ethics and observances of our people have always been at the forefront of our educational philosophy. However, our teaching techniques were somehow left behind as we advanced spiritually. It was not until the introduction of the JECEI (Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative) philosophy, that the learning and teaching became echad, one.

JECEI introduced us as educators to the concept of constructivism, and has helped children, teachers and parents, become partners on a Jewish journey of a much deeper level. JECEI has allowed us to leave the mitzrayim, the narrow confines, of traditional teaching and enter the world of creativity and the ideal setting for true experiential learning.

~ By Tessa Cherniss, ECE Teacher, Marin JCC

New Research on Professional Standards for ECE Educators

In an effort to inform the public about California’s standards of excellence for early childhood educators, UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment has undertaken an extensive review of current standards and training across the country for all practitioners in the Early Childhood Education field.

The good news is that California can benefit from the knowledge of 26 other states that have developed various systems for ECE professional standards. This study’s thorough examination of the “current state of the art” and best practices across the country offers the best research on ECE training and education systems to date. The goal of the study is to offer California a framework for assuring that all educators of young children have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet children’s developmental needs in our state.

You can access the complete study on the web at:

http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/cscce/pdf/competencies_report08.pdf

~ By Vivien Braly, Program Coordinator for Parenting Matters

What’s Happening with the ECE Initiative?

The Early Childhood Education Initiative is making steady progress. We have been meeting with different constituent groups such as JCC Executive Directors, Rabbi’s, and Temple Administrators, spreading the word about the importance of Early Childhood Education for the future of the Jewish community.

Worthy Wage Day for Early Childhood Education teachers was started in the 70’s, by the Child Care Employee Project. Three and a half decades later have not seen much progress in professionalizing the field. The Jewish Community in the Bay Area is taking a stand; we are working on compensation, along with other key areas, including professional development, excellence in the field and connecting with families. Join us on June 2, so we can hear your ideas for the Early Childhood Jewish Education in the Bay Area- we will share ours, too.

~ By Janet Harris, Director of the ECE Initiative