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25, Adar 5770

Classes

Learn. Explore.

At the PJCC, we offer classes and workshops every month for all ages and interests.

Jewish Culture Classes

Want to learn Hebrew? Increase your Yiddish vocabulary? Check out some of our Jewish education classes.

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Wellness Classes

in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente redwood city

Take advantage of this series of classes spanning different health and nutrition topics.

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New Brain Fitness Programs

vibrantBrains™ at the PJCC

Learn to focus better, think faster, remember more!

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Bollywood Dance Adults

Bollywood is back in a NEW way! This program offers a non-stop total body workout that seamlessly takes you through cardio and toning routines to the latest Bollywood music. Instructor: India Community Center Staff

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Bridge

Learn the current basics of bridge with an emphasis on bidding and play of the hand.

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Crazy for Clay!

Develop hand-building techniques and explore your own creative expressions. Additional $20 materials fee payable upon enrollment. Fee covers firing, clay, glazes, and tools. Instructor: Susan Peterson teaches ceramics at Redwood Community Education Program and Skyline Community College.

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Exploring Opera: Verdi Overview

Giuseppe Verdi composed some of today's most popular operas, which are performed around the world every year. In this survey course, we will journey from his early gems rooted in bel canto style, through his dramatic middle-period classics to the masterpieces written in later life, giving a nod to contemporary composition. Video performance clips will bring a taste of the excitement and beauty of each opera into the classroom.
The series offers both a terrific introduction to the opera newcomer and several interesting insights for the long-time opera devotee.
September 15, 2009: Oberto to Ernani
November 10, 2009: I Due Foscari to Attila
December 8, 2009: Macbeth to La Battaglia di Legnano
January 12, 2010: Luisa Miller to La Traviata
March 9, 2010: Les Vepres Siciliennes to La Forza del Destino
April 6, 2010: Don Carlos to Falstaff

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Food For Thought: Grandmas in the Kitchen

July 12 The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook

Author and freelance writer Patricia Tanumihardja covers food, travel and lifestyle through a multicultural lens. After her travels and experiences living on three continents, Pat has a treasure chest full of adventures and experiences to share.
PJCC member Nellie Wong has taught Chinese cooking classes for many years. Several of her recipes are included in The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. Nellie will demonstrate how to make her Stuffed Egg-Crepe Rolls (Yu Gun) following Patricia's talk.
Program will be 1 ½ hrs to accommodate cooking demonstration

July 26 Jewish Baking

PJCC member Lee Port began baking while in college in New York. After law school, a move to California, and work as a district attorney and Chief Deputy County Counsel in San Mateo County, she continued to use baking as a means to relax. Anxious to share her secret, Lee will demonstrate how to make her rugelach and mandelbrot and provide samples.

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Food For Thought: Jewish Food - What Makes it Jewish?

June 7, 2010 - Bread and Blessings:A Look at the Jewish Traditions of Bread
From the ancient loaves Sarah baked to welcome the angels to sesame seed bagels, bread has always played an important role in the Jewish life. Join us as we discuss the religious, spiritual and cultural history of bread in Judaism.

June 21, 2010 - Women as Cooks and Gatekeepers of Jewish Identity
As Jewish life shifted from Europe to America and from Arab lands to Israel, recipes were an important means of maintaining connection and community. Join us for a conversation about the ways in which Jewish women's culinary contributions have maintained and shaped modern Jewish life.
Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder is a scholar and teacher with a special interest in Jewish food.

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Food For Thought: Law and Disorder

What's Wrong With Criminal Justice?

August 9 $100 a Day
Rick Walker spent 12 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. The video $100 a Day tells the compelling story of gross injustice and the heroic struggle to prove Walker's innocence. Entitled to one hundred dollars for each day spent falsely imprisoned, Walker would become a pawn in the partisan battle over the California budget. Following the video Rick Walker, a Peninsula resident, will tell more about his experience.

August 23 Dreams From the Monster Factory
Author Sunny Schwartz is a nationally recognized expert in criminal justice reform. Appointed by Sheriff Hennessey of the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, she directs the design and operation of prisoner programs in six county jails, with a daily average of 1700 men and women prisoners. Ms. Schwartz received numerous awards from the San Francisco Bar Association. She has been featured on national TV including the Discovery Channel and PBS.

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Food For Thought: Only A Girl, a Novel by Lian Gouw

April 19: In Only a Girl
Three generations of Chinese women struggle for identity against a political backdrop of the world Depression, World War II and the Indonesian Revolution. The unique way in which these women face their own challenges reveal the complex tale of Chinese society in Indonesia between 1930 and 1952. It is a captivating novel that mines history, heartbreak and humanity.
Author Lian Gouw's short stories and poems have appeared in several literary magazines.

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Food For Thought: The American Musical, Featuring Joe Marchi

March 1: Merman, Martin & Channing
For over 30 years these three dominated Broadway, appearing in legendary musicals which have never lost their appeal. By using music and film clips it will be evident why they became audience favorites even if some of the shows failed to receive rave reviews.

March 15: Great Songs From Shows That Failed
Between 1920 and 1940 over 500 musicals appeared on Broadway. Some of the shows ran from one week to two months. Although the shows failed, some of the music became popular. Hear the story behind the songs that are still well remembered today.
Joe Marchi is an enthusiastic and popular expert on the history of the American Musical. He is founder and former director of the Center of the American Musical at Canada College.

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Food For Thought: What's New With News?

May 3 - TV News: Does it Have a Future?
Don't miss the fascinating perspective of award-winning reporter, Bill Schechner, who has been in the business over 40 years.

May 17 - The Future of Print Journalism
Executive Editor of the San Mateo County Times Glenn Rabinowitz has worked in newsrooms since he was 13. He will discuss his views on the state of print journalism today and its future.

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Four Classic Screwball Comedies from Hollywood's Golden Age

Monday, April 19:
My Man Godfrey 1936 Directed by Gregory LaCava William Powell as a down-on-his luck drifter and Carole Lombard as the daffy heiress who hires him to be the family butler is a refreshing mixture of screwball comedy with the biting sting of social commentary.
Monday, April 26:
Midnight 1939 Directed by Mitchell Leisen Claudette Colbert is a penniless American girl in Paris and Don Ameche the star-struck cabdriver who falls in love with her.
Monday, May 3:
His Girl Friday 1940 Directed by Howard Hawks Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell make history in this classic laugh-fest.
Monday, May 10:
The Lady Eve 1941 Directed by Preston Sturges Barbara Stanwyck stars as a calculating gambler who sets her sights on bumpkin millionaire Henry Fonda.
Instructor Elliot Lavine was the film programmer for the Roxie Theater in San Francisco 1990 - 2003 and was known for his innovative Film Noir and Pre-Code Hollywood festivals.

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Israeli Folk Dancing

This Israeli Folk Dance class will focus on basic steps in traditional dances and a ton modern Israeli dance songs, many of which have the rhythm of the cha-cha, salsa, jazz and even hip hop! Connect with the culture as you learn the meaning behind the dances and the music! Also enjoy fun line dances to American, Latin, Turkish, Bollywood and Israeli music!(8 classes). Instructor: Karina Lambert is a passionate Israeli Folk Dance instructor originally from Argentina. She has been teaching children, teens and adults for more than 20 years.

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Jewelry Making

Have you ever looked longingly at a piece of jewelry and wished you knew how it was made? Do you have a burning desire to use your creativity and put all those old beads to good use? Learn everything you need to know about making your own jewelry.

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Jewelry Making: Stamping and Dapping

Learn how to create your own personalized jewelry! We will teach you stamping & dapping techniques, plus you will enjoy a fabulous array of fun design stamps to choose from. Expect to create your own sterling personalized necklace in this class! $20 materials fee payable upon registration. Instructor: Angelina Parise, from Dragonfly Designs, is working on her degree in jewelry design at the Academy of Art in San Francisco

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Jewish Book Discussion

Join other readers for a lively discussion of Jewish themed books on loan from the Jewish Community Library's Book Club in a Box. Facilitator Jim Van Buskirk, coordinator of Book Club in a Box leads the group in a lively discussion each month. Call for book selections at 378-2722.

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Let's Talk About It

Each week Shirley Rosenberg leads lively discussions about the events of the day. All opinions are welcome, creating a forum for stimulating and thought-provoking conversation. A leader of current events discussions for more than 25 years, Shirley graduated with a degree in International Relations from UC Berkeley and earned an MA in Education at SF State.
This is a drop-in group; reservations are not required.

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Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis: Maintaining Bone Health

Hardware is for Your House, Not Your Hips!
Carter Chang MD, will discuss these two common bone issues including prevention and treatment options. What medications and supplements work? How much does nutrition and exercise really influence your bone health? What therapies are no longer effective? Also compare calcium rich foods and supplements with a registered dietitian, and enjoy a bone-healthy snack!
Dr. Chang is Assistant Chief Medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City. You'll also be eligible for a cookbook raffle. This lecture, presented in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, is presented free of charge for the entire community. Pre-registration is required. Call either the PJCC at 650-212-7522 or Paul Munda at Kaiser, 650-299-4991.

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The Aging Brain: Exploring Memory and Attention

Join Dr. Adam Gazzaley from U.C. San Francisco as he explains how the brain and mind change as we get older. After giving overview of the changes that occur in our cognitive abilities and our brains with normal aging. Dr. Gazzaley will discuss examples from his lab's research aimed at understanding the interaction between attention and memory and their discoveries concerning increased susceptibility to distraction in older adults. He will also discuss what we might do to keep our brains healthy as we get older.

Dr. Gazzaley is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Physiology at UCSF and the Director of the UCSF Neuroscience Imaging Center (NIC). His research lab focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms of memory and attention in humans, how these processes change with normal aging and dementia, and how we might intervene to improve cognitive abilities.

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The Birth of Impressionism: An Introduction

This three-session class takes a lively look at the roots of Impressionism. We'll talk about the vibrant city scene of restaurants, cafes and theatres in the newly re-built Paris of the late 1800's; and we'll look at the work of a very diverse group of painters who changed forever the way we look at the world around us. The class is intended to provide an introduction to the magnificent collection of Impressionist paintings loaned to the de Young Museum in San Francisco by the Musee d'Orsay, Paris. Instructor Adam Donovan was a lecturer in the history of art at Rutgers and City College, City University of New York.

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The Jewish Lens of Hollywood

Join popular film expert Elliot Lavine as you watch and discuss four movies that are classic examples of the representation of Jews in film

June 8: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) Directed by Ted Kotcheff
June 15: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) Directed by Woody Allen
June 22: Everything is Illuminated (2005) Directed by Liev Schreiber
June 29: A Serious Man (2009) Directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen
This class is partially subsidized by The Koret-Taube Initiative, a New Look at Jewish Culture and Peoplehood

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