“I wanted to experience more out of Israel”

Aaron Sholin

Many American Jews come to Israel for short visits on Birthright and other similar programs. I, too, have done that, and enjoyed it, but somewhere along the way, I realized that I wanted to experience more of Israel. This realization led me to the decision to go on a MASA sponsored post-college program.

There are a huge number of programs, so it took some time to figure out what I wanted. After doing some research, I decided two things: I wanted to be in Tel Aviv and I wanted to have an internship. I sent e-mails including one to WUJS Israel Hadassah, just one of over 180 program options that Masa Israel works with and received a call from Amy, who is responsible for getting people through the initial signing up process. I was impressed that she took the time to call me (from Israel) and explain in detail what the program was like. It started to become apparent that this was the right program for me.

I have been in Israel for a little over a month now, and I am happy to say that I made the right decision. I found an organization online called Transport Today and Tomorrow, whose main goal is to improve sustainable public transportation in Israel. Although it is a very small organization, with only one full time employee, it seems to have built an impressive network of politicians, professors, and transportation experts who are very committed to making change in this area.

Since I started my internship, I have met a number of professionals in the field and just recently attended an international conference that focused on ways to make cities more pedestrian friendly.

Although I am gaining experience from my internship, there is so much more to my program. I have ulpan classes twice a week. I am in the beginning level since I haven’t studied Hebrew since my Bar Mitzvah, but already I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Another highlight of WUJS is the weekly field trip and other educational activities. Every week we go to a new place. My favorite so far was the first, a hike in Ein Gedi, in the Judean Desert, followed by a trip to the Dead Sea.

Recently, I had the privilege of experiencing Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haaztmaut in Tel Aviv. For Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), I attended a ceremony in Jerusalem for MASA participants. I don’t recall ever seeing anything like this scene before. In comparison with the Fourth of July, Israelis celebrate their independence very differently. Instead of just having private parties in houses or backyards, there are thousands of people in the street, to the point where I had to push to get through the crowds. There definitely seemed to be a certain kind of joy in the air that I have not witnessed before and I was happy to take part in it. Being in Israel for a long time really makes it clear how normal life can be here, despite what the headlines may say. I am glad that I made the decision to spend this time in Israel and WUJS is a great way to experience it. ~ Aaron Sholin

In 2010-2011, the Federation granted Masa $150,000 of which $1,500 goes towards each program participant. That will enable 100 young Jewish adults between the ages of 18 and 30 from around the world to spend 5 to 12 months interning, volunteering or studying in Israel, building a lasting relationship with the land and its people, strengthening their Jewish identity, and gaining meaningful, life-changing experiences.

Get Out to Frameline!

Frameline 34 LGBT International Film Festival begins next week! Founded in 1977, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival is the longest-running, largest and most widely recognized LGBT film exhibition event in the world. As a community event with an annual attendance of 60,000, Frameline is the most prominent and well-attended LGBT arts program in the Bay Area.

A wide array of films with LGBT queer Jewish directors, themes and subjects will of course be presented again this year and we have listed the films that we are excited to see ourselves below. The films we highlight include some that we are co-sponsoring with the Israeli Consulate of the Pacific Northwest. Of course, the professional and volunteer leadership of the LGBT Alliance includes folks with a very broad spectrum of views about all sorts of issues including various policies of the Israeli government. We unequivocally support the Israeli Consulate being an official co-sponsor of the Frameline Festival, as other consulates are.

Our Bay Area community is enriched by the inclusion of the films that LGBT queer identified folks are directing, producing and cosponsoring with Frameline each year. We encourage everyone to attend, enjoy and discuss civilly their perspectives.

Gay Days plays on Friday, June 25, 1:30 PM at the Castro Theatre. Filmmaker Yair Qedar captures this sudden, dramatic rise of the Israeli gay and lesbian community in this riveting and thorough documentary.

Playing on Tuesday, June 22, 9:30 PM at the Victoria Theatre, Eyes Wide Open is a taut tale of forbidden love by Director Haim Tabakman. Equal parts first-rate independent art cinema and fascinating anthropological study of a tightly-knit conservative community, the film sparks against the backdrop of an Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem.

Deep Red plays on Thursday, June 24, 11:00 AM at the Castro Theatre Directed by Eddie Tapero living in Israel Gur and Yuval will stop at nothing to make enough money for a fresh start in Berlin. But as they approach their goal, their tension grows until an unexpected event causes Gur to question their plan.

Jewish Director, Zsa Zsa Gershick stars in Door Prize about the unique challenge for one individual to use the public restroom seen within the Fun in Girls’ Shorts on Saturday, June 19, 1:30 PM at the Castro Theatre.

The HIV Story Project, Directed and Produced by LGBT Alliance leader Marc Smolowitz, is a multi-platform story-telling endeavor around HIV/AIDS that endeavors to emerge as a digital AIDS Quilt for the 21st Century showing on Saturday, June 26, 4:15 PM Victoria Theatre

Howl by directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman present James Franco as the handsome young Gay, Jewish Allen Ginsberg shown on Sunday, June 27, 7:30 PM at the Castro Theatre

Join us at Israel in the Gardens this Sunday!

T-Slam, Israel's premier rock band, headlines this year's festival

Join us this Sunday, June 6, at Israel in the Gardens at the Yerba Buena Gardens!

Get this year's guide now!

Come together with an estimated 20,000 people to celebrate Israel, her rich culture, and our Jewish community. Take in the performances at Jews Got Talent, a Bay Area-wide talent contest for Jewish students in all fields of the performing arts. Sample some of the best falafel west of the Mediterranean, or buy a hand-painted talit at the ‘Sheinkin Street Shuk.’ Kids can play African drums, or make Israeli spice balls for Havdalah at the Be’chol Lashon Interactive Kids Zone. And if you’re ready to rock, you’ll love the live performance by T-Slam, one of Israel’s oldest and best known rock bands.

For young adults, the party keeps on rocking from 5 to 10 p.m. at Manor West in SoMa. DJ Mei-Lwun will spin Israeli and American music, and a henna artist will be on hand!

We can’t wait to see you there!

300 young adults celebrate Simchat Torah!

For 2 hours every month, The Cellar closes its doors to the public and hosts an exclusive event for anyone Jewish and single, ages 21-40. The night, called Second Saturday, is known as the “longest running party for the young Jewish community in San Francisco” and is all about us – the young Jewish community in the Bay Area.

On October 10, over 300 young adults gathered at The Cellar to celebrate Simchat Torah and happiness in an unforgettable production called SIMCHA! which brought a taste of Israel to the Jewish young adult community in a fresh and exciting way.

The Israeli-themed SIMCHA! party drew over 300 young adults.

The festivities included Israeli snacks, Israeli video art, a raffle for a $100 dinner at Boulevard restaurant, and two amazing DJs – Second Saturday’s great house D.J. Josh Abrams, and Israeli D.J. Moshe Bonen from Maydalleh, who came straight from New York and brilliantly spun Hebrew music.

Part of the proceeds from the evening is being donated to the LGBT youth center in Tel Aviv. The special evening was a joint effort with Tzavta, the Israel Center’s young adult division, supported by the Helen Diller Family Foundation.

For more Tzavta programming information contact Lital at litalc@sfjcf.org or 415.512.6425.

Tel Aviv from Sand to Rock

For the past week, the Israel Center and the band YaRock have been on tour, bringing remixed Tel Aviv music to the Bay Area.  Their program, consisting of classics from by Naomi Shemer and Shlomo Artzi, as well as modern hits from bands like HaDag Nahash, has received a warm welcome and dancing crowds.

The “Tel Aviv from Sand to Rock” tour has one final stop, a FREE concert at Stanford.  All are welcome to attend.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 – 7:30 pm
Stanford University
Dinkelspiel Auditorium – map
www.israelinthebay.org/sandtorock.htm

Happy Hour with HaDag Nahash

The Israel Center Young Adult division – Tzavta organized a special event for their members – a happy hour – pre-Shabbat Services – meeting with the Hadag Nahash band members. 30 local Yong Adults and 7 band members schmoozed, noshed Medireranian food and talked music and Israeli culture; then rushed to Services at Temple Emanu El.

The next evening, Hadag Nahash performed at the Ruby Sky, more than 400 people came.

Hadag Nahash is Israel’s leading hip hop band and has been topping the Israeli music charts since 2000. The band plays a unique style of music that blends Hip Hop, Funk, Jazz, Electronic and Rock with a touch of Middle Eastern flavor. This great musical fusion has garnered Hadag Nahash a large fan-base in Israel and abroad. Tracks from their recent album were also showcased on the big screen in Adam Sandler’s most recent movie, ‘Don’t Mess With The Zohan’.

100 JCF blog posts & 100 years for Tel Aviv

The city the New York Times named the “Capital of Mediterranean Cool” is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In April 1909, on a sand dune outside of Jaffa, a group of people founded a small neighborhood that would later become the center of Hebrew culture, and Israel’s economic, business, academic and entertainment capital. In the next series of blog posts we’ll tell you more about Tel Aviv and encourage you to pay this wonderful city a visit.

This year the Israel Center brings Tel Aviv to the Bay area! Art exhibits, rock and jazz concerts, evening cabarets, authors, film series, lectures and more… For details and updates, check the Israel Center’s website.

Last Sunday marked the launching of the year-long festivities with the screening of Jellyfish (Meduzot) by Etagr Keret.  Kanbar Hall at the JCCSF was packed with an enthusiastic crowd of 350 Tzavta, The Hub and the Jewish Film Festival members. When asked about Tel Aviv, Etgar replied that for him, in Tel Aviv, as in San Francisco, there is a sense of cultural and social diversity. Orthodox and Secular Jews, Arabs and other foreigners all share this urban space with mutual respect.

We have more to share about Tel Aviv in future posts, but will sign off here with a few words from Mayor Gavin Newson speaking at the port of Tel Aviv in his recent visit to lsrael.