The 2009 Survey of the Jewish Next Generation of the South Peninsula

Calling all Jewish Young Adults in the South Bay and Peninsula to participate in The 2009 Survey of the Jewish Next Generation of the South Peninsula. That’s right it’s time to give young adults south of SF some attention. The study is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the interests, needs, and desires of Jewish young adults in the South Peninsula. The results will be used to identify unmet needs and establish a plan to address them. Please not only donate (about) 15 minutes of your time to take the survey, but please spread the word to all the Jewish Young Adults you know.

Oh and did I mention there’s raffle prizes….

Who are the Jews of the next generation?  What are your interests? Your passions?  Your concerns?  Hopes?  Expectations?  What do you want out of your Jewish lives in the South Peninsula?

We want to know, and we’re inviting you to tell us in “The 2009 Survey of the Jewish Next Generation of the South Peninsula.”

No matter how you define yourself as “Jewish” or “Young,” we’d like you to spend a few minutes with our survey, filling it out and telling us what you think, what you feel, what you hope, and what you’d like to see in your community.

To take the survey, please click on this link, or cut-and-paste it into your web-browser.  <http://bit.ly/SouthPen>

If you’ve already filled out the survey, thank you.  And please feel free to circulate this email and the link among your friends.

The survey has been commissioned by the South Peninsula Council of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.  Dr. Ari Y Kelman and Dr. Tobin Belzer are conducting the survey and are sharing duties as the Principal Investigator.

Participants who complete the survey may enter their name to win a new iPod Nano (with video!) or $50 gift certificates to Amazon.

Your answers will be treated confidentially.  If you choose to enter the drawing, your email will only be used to contact winners.  That means that we will never share your identity or individual answers with anyone.

We’ll be sharing the compiled results of the survey with you as soon as they are ready for distribution. Should you have any comments, write Dr. Kelman or Dr. Belzer directly at aykelman@ucdavis.edu or tbelzer@usc.edu

We thank you for your time,

Dr. Ari Y Kelman, UC Davis
Dr. Tobin Belzer, USC

8 Nights of Hanukkah, 8 Jews’ Next Dor events in December

Jews’ Next Dor is ending 2009 with 8 great events. We hope to see all you Jewish 20 & 30 somethings at, at least 1 of the events this month. We’ve got a little something for everyone. We’ll start and end the month with 2 great social action projects, the culmination of Toy Drive, a Toy Wrapping Party and serving the homeless on X-mas eve. In-between we have our regular Meet & Greet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 3 great Hanukkah events, beer tasting and encourage you to sign-up for a slot in the Blood Drive at Congregation Beth David.

• Tuesday, December 1, 7pm, Toy Wrapping Party

  Join SVYAD, Jew’s Next Dor, Hillel at Stanford and Jewish Family Services for our annual gift wrapping party!

  Starting October 6, new toys for ages 0-17 in their original packaging, are being collected in the lobby of the Levy Family Campus (14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos CA 95032) and Congregation Beth David (19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, Ca) and Hillel at Stanford.
  Toys will also be collected at  Jews’ Next Dor events.
  Toys will be distributed by Jewish Family Services.

  Join us for a Toy Wrapping Party on Tuesday, Dec. 1
  at 7 p.m. at the Levy Family Campus, (14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos CA 95032) . Snacks and fun provided.
  Admission: one roll of non-holiday wrapping paper.

  Thanks to everyone for their donations!

• Wednesday, December 9, 7pm, Meet & Greet @ Cafe Baklava

  “Because Middle Eastern Food, is like home”
  Come to the Jews Next Dor Meet and Greet at Cafe Bakalava, 341 Castro St, Mountain View, CA
  Great food and awesome friends, what more can you ask for?

  We’ll be enjoying these vegetarian/dairy treats. Please  let us know your preferences.

  Mediterranean Mezze: Humus, Falafel, Baba Ghanoush, Cevizli Peynir, Dolma and Taboule

  Sigara Boregi: Deep fried pyhlo dough with goat cheese parsley and special spices

  Saksuka: Fried eggplant and potatoes, grilled peppers, tomato and onions served with  garlic yogurt sauce

  Greek Salad: Fresh lettuce tomatoes, green peppers, cucumber, onion, calamata olives topped with feta cheese lemon juice, virgin olive oil dressing
  Moussaka: Eggplant, potato, mushrooms, tomatoes with a béchamel saucePatlican Dolma:  Layers of grilled eggplant stuffed with onions, parsley, tomato and pine nuts served with rice and grilled vegetables
  http://www.cafebaklava.com/pf_dinner.php Price will be around $15/person, please bring cash, singles appreciated…it helps a lot! See you there!

• Saturday, December 12, 9pm, Light It Up! Young Adult Hanukkah Party

  LIGHT IT UP!
  Young Adult Hanukkah Party

  Saturday, December 12, 2009
  9pm
  Oshman Family JCC
  3921 Fabian Way,
  Palo Alto, CA

  21+
  Open Bar

  Support Second Harvest Food Bank to Win Raffle Prizes
  1 ticket/non-perishable item

  $10 Advance http://www.paloaltojcc.com/light
  $15 at The Door

  Brought to you by: Hillel of Silicon Valley, Hillel of Stanford, Jews’ Next Dor, Oshman Family JCC, Roots Collective, SVYAD, & T’Keya.

• Tuesday, December 15, 3:30pm, Blood Drive at Congregation Beth David

  Please contact JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org for information on scheduling a time slot. Drive is from 3:30pm to 7pm.

• Tuesday, December 15, 7pm, Hanukkah House Party

  Jews’ Next Dor invites you to a Hanukkah House Party, bring your Hanukkiah (and candles), and a potluck vegetarian/dairy (fried or not) dish to share to celebrate the 5th night of Hanukkah. Try your hand at dreidel and more. RSVP to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org for the San Jose address. Join us at 7pm on Tuesday, December 15.

• Friday, December 18, 7pm, Potluck Shabbat Hanukkah

  Celebrate the 8th night of Hanukkah and welcome Shabbat with Jews’ Next Dor at a private home in Mountain View. Please bring a vegetarian or dairy dish to share. Please RSVP by December 16 to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org for the address.

• Saturday, December 19, 9pm, Beer Tasting

  Jews’ Next Dor invites you to a blind taste test of a bunch of brews. $10 a person. Please RSVP by December 16, for the Sunnyvale address to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org.

• Thursday, December 24, 4pm, Volunteer to Serve the Hungry

  Jews Next Dor is helping to serve needy families on Christmas Eve (in connection with CBD’s Social Action Committee) at Men / Women EHC LifeBuilders James Boccardo Reception Center (BRC), 2011 Little Orchard St, San Jose.  Come be a part of this mitzvah and enjoy the company of other Jewish young adults.

  We need 10 or more volunteers to show up at 4pm to start preparing the meal. We’ll start serving dinner around 5pm. The whole event will be finished by 6:30pm.

  After that, you have a choice of heading off for the Latke Ball or hanging out with the other volunteers for a chill dinner out.

  RSVP  to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org.

American Jewish Language Use Survey Results

I thought I’d share following article that landed in my email in an issue of Nu? What’s New?.

Survey on American Jewish Language Use
How do American Jews speak English? Who uses Hebrew and Yiddish words and New York regional features? When using Hebrew words, who prefers Israeli pronunciations and who prefers the Ashkenazic ones? Which Yiddish-origin features do some non-Jews use?

Two researchers from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, linguist Sarah Bunin Benor and sociologist Steven M. Cohen, have released the results of a large-scale survey of Jews and non-Jews in the United States that addresses these questions. The online survey began in the summer of 2008 with an e-mail invitation to about 600 people, and within 6 weeks, over 40,000 people had participated.

Benor and Cohen found that American Jews use many Yiddish words and constructions within their English speech (such as heimish, bashert, “staying by them,” and “she has what to say”) and that many non-Jews use selected Yiddishisms (especially klutz, shpiel, and “money shmoney”). Most Yiddish words are more common in the older generations, but some (including bentsh, leyn, and shul) are increasing among younger Jews who attend synagogue frequently. American Jews, especially those who have spent time in Israel or are highly engaged in religious life, also pepper their English with Hebrew and Aramaic words (including yofi, balagan, davka, and kal vachomer). Jews with different social networks have different understandings of the meanings of certain words (such as whether schmooze means ‘chat’ or ‘kiss up’). Outside of New York, Jews are more likely than non-Jews to use certain New York regional pronunciations, such as pronouncing “orange” as “AH-range.” And Jews are somewhat more likely than non-Jews to report that they have been told that they interrupt too much.

A summary of the survey results can be found at http://huc.edu/survey/09/docs/Survey%20popular%20paper%20final.pdf. A more detailed description of the project can be found at http://huc.edu/survey/09/.

Nefesh B’Nefesh Jerusalem Flash Mob–Real Smooth-e

Miss Nefesh B’Nesh’s flash mob in Jerusalem to Smooth E’s Hanukkah Hey Ya?

Hanukkah will here very soon. Show off your dance moves at Light It Up! Get your tickets now http://www.paloaltojcc.org/light

hat tip to ck

Get back to the true roots of Thanksgiving at the Thanksgiving Day Interfaith Service

43rd Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Saratoga Federated Church

44th Annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service

Join us on Thanksgiving Day as we worship together as a community.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009, at 10 am, we will join together at Congregation Beth David (19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, Ca) for an
hour of music, prayer and devotion as we give thanks for our many blessings.

We welcome all members of all faiths in our community to join together in our 44th annual Thanksgiving Day
worship service. Following the service we will hold an informal reception of mingling and food.

Mumbai Memorial Tribute

Last year, the world stood together in shock and sadness at the brutal loss of life in Mumbai, India. One year later, join in a global gathering of hope, healing, and renewal to mark the anniversary of this tragedy. See how the lives of those who were lost have been memorialized in a triumph of love and giving.

An international simulcast memorial service will be showing at

Chabad Center, 3070 Louis Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303
November 29, 2009, 3:00 PM EST

Special Greetings From
*Benjamin Netanyahu*, Prime Minister of Israel
*Professor Elie Wiesel*, Nobel Laureate
*Rabbis Yona Metzger & Shlomo Amar*, Chief Rabbis of Israel
*Rabbis Yehuda Krinsky & Moshe Kotlarsky*, Lubavitch World Headquarters

Memorial prayer by world renowned *Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot

Help CBD Blanket the Community with Warmeth and Love

Since winter is definitely in the air
Please bring a blanket(s) to share
We’ll donate them to the less fortunate
with lots of love and care
Since winters are cold and hard to bear
New or gently used is fine
Please get them to us on time
Bring to the Thanksgiving Service,
the Hazak Chanukah Party, and
through the winter season
For more information, contact
Seema Cicerone at 408-741-5466

Jews’ Next Dor’s Hanukkah Happenings

Jews’ Next Dor has lots going on for Hanukkah5770 (2009) from San Jose to Palo Alto. It starts in a big way with the community Young Adult Light It Up Hanukkah Party. Don’t forget to register online for discounted admission at http://www.paloaltojcc.com/light, bring donations for Second Harvest Food Bank to be entered into the raffle. After you’ve recovered from the open bar at Light It Up! Join us for a Hanukkah House Party in San Jose, and end the holiday with us at a potluck Shabbat. Details on all these are below!

• Saturday, December 12, 9pm, Light It Up! Young Adult Hanukkah Party

  LIGHT IT UP!
  Young Adult Hanukkah Party

  Saturday, December 12, 2009
  9pm
  Cultural Arts Center, Oshman Family JCC
  3921 Fabian Way,
  Palo Alto, CA

  21+
  Open Bar

  Support Second Harvest Food Bank to Win Raffle Prizes
  1 ticket/non-perishable item

  $10 Advance http://www.paloaltojcc.com/light
  $15 at The Door

  Brought to you by: Hillel of Silicon Valley, Hillel of Stanford, Jews’ Next Dor, Oshman Family JCC, Roots Collective, SVYAD, & T’Keya.

• Tuesday, December 15, 7pm, Hanukkah House Party

  Jews’ Next Dor invites you to a Hanukkah House Party, bring your Hanukkiah (and candles), and a potluck vegetarian/dairy (fried or not) dish to share to celebrate the 5th night of Hanukkah. Try your hand at dreidel and more. RSVP to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org for the San Jose address. Join us at 7pm on Tuesday, December 15.

• Friday, December 18, 7pm, Potluck Shabbat Hanukkah

  Celebrate the 8th night of Hanukkah and welcome Shabbat with Jews’ Next Dor at a private home in Mountain View. Please bring a vegetarian or dairy dish to share. Please RSVP by December 16 to JewsNextDor[at]beth-david.org for the address.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods?

Our Recipe Exchange is hungry this Thanksgiving. Please fill it’s tummy with your yummy Thanksgiving recipes. Please keep them Kosher.

Holiday Toy Drive Ends November 30th, Wrapping Party December 1st

Our annual Toy Drive is coming to a close with the end of November. Please drop off any new toys for ages 0-17 at any of the 3 drop off locations by November 30th. Young Adults join us for a wrapping party on December 1st.

Drop off locations:

• Congregation Beth David (19700 Prospect Road, Saratoga, Ca)
• Levy Family Campus (14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos CA 95032)
• Hillel at Stanford (565 Mayfield Avenue, Stanford, Ca)

Tuesday, December 1, 7pm, Toy Wrapping Party

Join SVYAD, Jew’s Next Dor, Hillel at Stanford and Jewish Family Services for a toy wrapping party!
Toys will be distributed by Jewish Family Services.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
7 p.m.
Levy Family Campus, (14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos CA 95032) .
Snacks and fun provided.
Admission: one roll of non-holiday wrapping paper.

Thanks to everyone for their donations! They will bring a smile to a child this holiday season.

Water Conservation Techniques – From Israel to the World

The Jewish Law Student Association at Santa Clara University invites you to an evening exploring water conservation techniques.

Monday, November 30, 2009

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Santa Clara University – Room Kennedy 108

Thomas W. Hoekstra, PhD, Co-founder and President of the Board for The Sustainability Institute of the Jewish National Fund is coming to SCU to address the topic of; Shrinking waters and desalination plants; Israel’s innovations to solve the global environmental crisis.

The event is open to everybody; students and community members for FREE.

Light appetizers will be served.

Sponsored by the Jewish Law Student Association.

Facebook Event