Cooking with the Faz
Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 p.m., Faz Danville

Are you between the ages of 21-45? Join culinary entrepreneur Faz Poursohi at his Danville restaurant, FAZ, for a demonstration meal of wood-fired Mediterranean cuisine. Small tastings and great company!
Co-sponsor: Contra Costra/Tri-Valley/Tri-City Regional Office. Admission: $20

Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life
Thursday, November 1, 8:00 p.m., Congregation Beth Emek

Michael Krasny, the host of KQED-FM radio's award-winning Forum, goes revealingly "off mike" to detail the political, cultural and business-related issues he has covered on the radio over the past three decades. Underwritten by Betsy Fels Pottruck. Co-Sponsors: Congregation Beth Emek and the Contra Costa/Tri-Vally/Tri-City Regional Office. Admission: $10

Challah Twist
Friday, November 2, 9:15 a.m., CCJCC

Grab your apron and join challah maven Sternie Kagen in a hands-on baking lesson! Learn how to make this delicious, braided egg bread, a Sabbath tradition. This workshop includes ingredients and take-home recipes. Underwritten by Barbara and Robert Morris. Admission: $10.

From a Courtroom in London to a Conference in Tehran:
Holocaust Denial in the 21st Century – Does this define the Jewish future?
Sunday, November 4, 5:00 p.m., Temple Isaiah

Lauded for her courage under fire, Emory University Professor Deborah E. Lipstadt faced Holocaust denier David Irving in a British court and won a groundbreaking libel suit. The judge found Irving to be a Holocaust denier, a falsifier of history, a racist, an anti-Semite, and a liar. Lipstadt’s five year-long legal battle is a must-hear for anyone interested in historical truth and freedom of speech. Underwritten by The Mimi Epstein Memorial Fund, Temple Isaiah, Jo-Ann and Arnold Jacobson, M.D. and Debbie and Alvin Medvin, D.D.S. Admission is free.

Nine Plays in Search of an Ending
Monday, November 5, 7:30 p.m., CCJCC

Milton Matz holds a triple whammy of titles: playwright, psychologist and…rabbi. His “provocative plays on contemporary ethical dilemmas” cover such topics as infidelity, intermarriage, race relations, politics and gay relations. Enjoy a concert performance of Affairs of State, a play that satirizes psychotherapy, sex and a powerful man in Washington, D.C. Co-sponsor: Bert Steinberg and Lucia Brandon. Admission: $10.

The New American Judaism: The Way Forward on Challenging Issues from Intermarriage to Jewish Identity
Tuesday, November 6, 10:00 a.m., CCJCC

Popular Washington, D.C. rabbi and psychotherapist Arthur Blecher believes that the American Jewish community is actually flourishing amidst fears of dying out. He provides a progressive and positive outline of why intermarriage strengthens Judaism--a concept that many Jews continue to debate. Co-sponsors: Building Jewish Bridges, Congregation B’nai Tikvah, and the Contra Costa JCC’s Adult Department. Admission: $7.

Statecraft
Wednesday, November 7, 7:30 p.m., CCJCC

Renowned peace negotiator Dennis Ross will give an impressive tutorial on the nuts and bolts of epic negotiating, complete with tips on how and when to stage angry outbursts at the conference table. Ross, who was the U.S. chief Middle East envoy in the Bush I and Clinton administrations, was part of the negotiating team at Camp David in 2000 which was attended by then Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the late PA President Yasser Arafat. He will provide case studies of foreign policy triumphs and disasters, from German reunification to the war in Iraq. Underwritten by Carole and Don Chaiken and The Honorable Judy Craddick Maccabee and Howard Maccabee, M.D. Co-sponsors: Jewish Community Federation and Foundation: Business & Professional Division, Israel at 60 and the Contra Costa/Tri-Valley/Tri-City Regional Office. Admission: $20.

Beyond Anne Frank
Thursday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., CCJCC

The image of the hidden child has been shaped by Anne Frank. Yet her experience in wartime Holland was not typical. Professor Diane L. Wolf (University of California, Davis) paints a compelling portrait of hidden children for whom the end of WWII often became the beginning of a personal war with the families who saved them. Preceded by community Kristallnacht commemoration. Co-sponsor: and the Tillie and Rene Molho Endowment for Holocaust Remembrance of the Jewish Community Foundation. Admission: $7.

Healing Stories: Picture Books for the Big and Small Changes in a Child's Life
Friday, November 9, 10:00 a.m., CCJCC

Psychologist Jacqueline Golding has created just-the-right-book for parents (and grandparents) that will help you find just-the-right-book for a child anticipating a big change, such as having a new brother or sister, or starting kindergarten. Golding will show us how sharing a story can help the children in our lives manage tribulations, whether big, small or in-between. Admission: $7.

Concert with VOCOLOT
Saturday, November 10, 7:00 p.m., CCJCC

Vocolot brings a joyous fusion of folk, jazz and cantorial traditions into the contemporary a cappella world. Their music, rooted in universal heart and Jewish soul, is sung in English, Hebrew, Ladino, Yiddish and Arabic. Wine, cheese and dessert reception followed by the concert and our tribute to two outstanding individuals who have been instrumental in bring culture to our East Bay Jewish Community: Rabbi Emeritus Gordon Freeman of Congregation B’nai Shalom and Bilha Sperling, the founder of our Book Festival. Underwritten by Virginia and Michael Peiser, Bette and Stewart Schuster, and Karla and Neil Smith. Co-sponsor: Congregation B’nai Shalom. Admission, including reception: $20.

Kosher Hollywood: Jews, Food and Film
Sunday, November 11, Noon, CCJCC

From the films of Woody Allen to Joan Micklin Silver’s Crossing Delancey, Jews on the silver screen always seem to be preparing, eating or talking about food. UC Davis Professor Alisa Braun will discuss the ways filmmakers use food to explore questions of Jewish identity, examining the significance of the family meal and the connections between food, relationships and sex. Co-sponsor: Contra Costa International Jewish Film Festival. Admission: $7.

Holiday Fair and KIDZcorner!
Sunday, November 11, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., CCJCC

Children (ages 2 – 8) will enjoy hours of fun at our jump house and spin art center. Our Holiday Fair features Judaica, children’s books and games, as well as a wide array of gift items for men, women and children. Co-sponsor: Contra Costa JCC Pre-School and the Contra Costa Jewish Day School. Admission is free.

10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.: Deborah Rose Lee, the award-winning children’s author of Ocean Babies, The Twelve Days of Kindergarten, Birthday Zoo and Into the A, B, Sea.

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Face Painting with Julia

Noon: The Healthy Family. Psychologist Louise Hart will take us on a non-guilt provoking guided tour of how to increase self-esteem for yourself and your family, enabling you to raise healthy, confident and caring children!

1:00 p.m.: Germar the Magician (for children of all ages)

2:00 p.m. Ira’s Palace of Wonders --An interactive program of storytelling and original songs by the featured singing storyteller of a PBS animated children’s show.

3:00 p.m. Raffle and Silent Auction

Requiem for An Assassin
Monday, November 12, Noon, CCJCC

Meet Barry Eisler and find out why he is considered better than
Tom Clancy and one of the mystery world’s hottest writers. In Requiem for an Assassin, John Rain, a conscious-drive, Japanese-American assassin with a penchant for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, thinks about leaving his profession, motivated by his love for Delilah, an Israeli Mossad agent. Enjoy Eisler and a delicious lunch. Co-sponsor: Jewish Business Lunch. Admission including lunch: $20.

The Ethiopian Jews of Israel: Personal Stories of Life in the Promised Land
Tuesday, November 13, 7:30 p.m., Beth Chaim Congregation

Shagau Mokonen…Emebet Adago…Mazi Melesa. What do these people have in common? They all immigrated to Israel from their homeland of Ethiopia. We will meet them and many others as Len Lyons shares their personal stories in a collage of stunning photo essays. His presentation about actors, musicians and even a member of Israel’s parliament reveals how Ethiopian Jews experience Israel as a culturally distinct minority. Co-sponsors: Beth Chaim Congregation, Israel Center and the Contra Costa/Tri-Valley/Tri-City Regional Office. Admission: $10.

Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night and One Woman’s Quest to Become a Mother
Wednesday, November 14, 7:30 p.m., CCJCC

Peggy Orenstein, whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Elle, Vogue, Parenting, Mother Jones and The New Yorker, writes an honest, engaging, sometimes wrenching and sometimes very funny account of one woman’s quest for a baby. An unforgettable and enthralling read. Ice cream social to follow lecture. Admission: $10.

One Read: The Days of Awe
Thursday, November 15, 10:00 a.m., CCJCC

Rabbi Judy Shanks will lead a discussion on Hugh Nissenson’s acclaimed book The Days of Awe, an emotionally powerful story about family, friends and 9/11. All book groups are invited! Admission is free.

Screening of Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water
Thursday, November 15, 7:30 p.m., CCJCC

Is water a human right or a commodity to be marketed for profit? Why do we pay more for bottled water than for gasoline? These are some of the tough-minded questions filmmakers Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow ask in both their provocative and memorable book and their 2004 documentary. They will be available for Q&A following the screening of their documentary. Admission: $10.