By JTNews Staff, other
SJCS holds its annual gala
The Seattle Jewish Community School will hold its annual gala event, honoring community members and parents Debbie Sopher and Daniel Markowitz, on Feb. 2. The couple has invested in the current and future success of the North Seattle elementary school as well as participated actively in the Seattle Jewish community as a whole.
Debbie, a molecular biologist, is an SJCS trustee and served as board secretary. She now heads the Finance Committee as treasurer. Daniel, an oncologist, has worked with his wife on the integration of technology into the school’s classrooms. He has also been instrumental in the development and encouragement of the physical education program.
The gala takes place on Sat., Feb. 2, 2008 at 7 p.m. at SJCS, 12351 8th Ave. NE, Seattle. For more information, contact Deborah Frockt at 206-522-5212 or dfrockt@seattlejcs.org.
Health and wellness at the Stroum JCC
The Stroum Jewish Community Center kicked off its wellness lecture series on Thurs. Jan. 24 with a talk called “Tools for a Change” by Sarit Ellinger, a certified professional coach. Similar lectures will be held at the JCC on the fourth Thursday of every month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Future lectures will be on traditional health topics like heart disease and skin cancer, as well as financial planning, taking personal action on climate change, and home safety.
The JCC will also host a free wellness fair on Sun., Feb. 10 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. The fair is open to the public and will include education booths, demonstrations, activities and fitness classes for all ages. At the SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island. For more information, contact Kathy Hutchinson at 206-232-7115 ext. 273.
Martin Riesebrodt lecture
Martin Riesebrodt from the University of Chicago will give a talk called “Globalization, Religion, and the ‘Clash of Civilizations,’” sponsored by The University of Washington’s Comparative Religion Program and The Center for Global Studies. This is the first lecture in UW’s Luce Lectures on Global Religions and Human Security. The lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Kane Hall 220 at UW.
Weekend Lecture Series at Congregation B’nai Torah
Congregation B’nai Torah in Olympia will host a series of lectures from Fri., Feb. 15 to Sun., Feb. 17 on the theme of “Solving the Unsolvable: Achieving Peace in the Middle East.” David Meir-Levi, director of the Israel Peace Initiative, a grassroots non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay area, will host this series. At Congregation B’nai Torah, 3437 Libby Rd. NE, Olympia. For registration information contact Larry Perrin at 360-866-0862 or leperrin@comcast.net, or Lowell Cordas at 360-456-7367 or slcordas@yahoo.com.
Scholarships for first-time B’nai Brith campers
The B’nai Brith Men’s Camp Association and the Foundation for Jewish Camping are partnering to offer $1,000 scholarships to 125 kids from around the country who will attend a B’nai Brith camp for the first time this summer. The scholarships are being made possible in part because of an anonymous $15 million donation given to the Foundation for Jewish Camping. For more information about B’nai Brith summer camps and this scholarship, visit www.bbcamp.org.
Volunteers for Israel
Volunteers for Israel, a U.S.-based service organization, is looking for volunteers to work on a variety of projects in northern and southern Israel, supporting the Israel Defense Forces. Projects include working alongside Israeli soldiers doing non-combat jobs, such as building fortifications and fences, and assisting with logistical tasks. Volunteers sign-on for 1-3 weeks, and will be provided with free lodging, kosher meals and work clothes. For more information, contact 866-514-1948 info@vfi-usa.org or visit www.vfi-usa.org.