Silicon Valley ORT: SVORT Bulletin

Last Chance to Save Gift Wrap!
by Wendy Fotland
There will be no gift wrap booth this year unless someone takes over scheduling! Wendy Fotland has been in charge of scheduling for several years, and Susan Hertzberg has supervised booth set up and tear down many times. And they are not going to do it again. Without a new chairperson, we will have to cancel this fundraiser. Please consider volunteering if you’d like to see gift wrap continue. You wouldn’t have to do all the calls yourself, as we always have people who are willing to help. But we do need someone who can take on the responsibility of making sure there are always enough wrappers in the booth.

We also need to work on making the gift wrap booth more profitable. Gift wrap 2002 was not a huge success. In fact, we made less money than in any other year. This was partly due to the economy and partly due to high expenses. In addition to paying rent to the mall, which we have been doing the last few years, and paying Michael Healy to be our Booth Manager, we had to pay sales tax for the first time ever! We were informed that as of 1998, gift wrapping is no longer considered a non-taxable service.

But there are still people to thank. I am very grateful to Rachel Abramovitz and family, Evelyn Howard, Bobi Levine and Phyllis Newman for their many hours of wrapping; my phone callers, Ellen Mastman and Elaine Kahn; and Susan and Roger Hertzberg for wrapping, organizing, hand-holding and everything else. And of course thanks go to everyone who wrapped.

One way to make more money would be to have more ORT people sign up earlier to wrap more hours, so ORT can have a larger share of the profits. (Although ORT members wrapped more hours than any of the other groups helping us in ’02, we could always do more.) We could also increase our profits by having our members take over training wrappers, dealing with the mall management, closing the booth at night, etc., instead of paying a manager to do it. Michael did a great job, but we can set up a gift wrap committee to handle those duties, like we did before we had a manager.

Please contact Wendy, if you would like to volunteer.

Preserving Memories, an Evening with Judy Kancigor
by Hayley Green Smith
Are you interested in preserving your family’s memories for future generations? Do you know when your family came over from the “Old Country” and do you have their stories written down? Did you know that researching genealogy is the number one hobby on the Internet?

If you are interested in preserving your family’s memories, please plan on joining us on Tuesday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. for “Preserving Memories” with Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Melting Pot Memories.

Judy will tell us, with her own brand of nostalgic humor, about the importance of preserving our family’s memories for future generations.

Judy’s book was written as a project for her family with recipes, pictures, and stories, including the history of her grandparents’ Russian shtetl. It caught on and is now in its seventh printing!

This interesting and informational evening will be on Tuesday, May 20, at the home of Wendy Fotland and will begin at 7:30 p.m.

ORT Argentina Students Visit Silicon Valley

On January 14th, Silicon Valley ORT was pleased to host a Dessert Reception with ORT Argentina graduates Jonathan Levy and Leandro Margulis. Jonathan and Leandro recently graduated from the ORT Technical High Schools in Buenos Aires and are currently attending University in Buenos Aires, Jonathan as a Systems Engineering student and Leandro in Industrial Engineering.

Jonathan and Leandro spoke about the excellent foundation for University studies that ORT gave them. They also spoke about how the economic situation in Argentina has affected them and their families. In late 2001, Argentina defaulted on its debts, devalued its currency, and imposed a freeze on bank accounts and credit card usage. On January 24, 2003, the IMF approved a $6.6 billion debt rollover that gives, “… the country breathing room to maintain stability ahead of presidential elections scheduled for April.” (IMF Survey, Volume 32, Number 2, February 3, 2003.)

From Left to Right: Hayley Green Smith, Jeremy Bakin from Silicon Valley Hillel, Argentina Students Leandro Margulis and Jonathan Levy, Alice Wald, Wendy Fotland

When one of the students asked what we, as ORTists, do and why we do it, our members responded that we work to raise money for the ORT program because of our belief in education and the future of the Jewish people. The students then thanked us all for our dedication to the ORT program. In fact, the March 2003 issue of the Jewish Community News has an interview with Leandro. To the question, “Do you have a favorite memory or favorite moment?” he responded that his visit with ORT was very special. He then emphasized how integral ORT has been to his education and his life.

We concluded our program with two additional speakers. Randi Brenowitz, National Vice President and member of Silicon Valley, spoke about her trip to ORT Argentina, as part of the overall mission to South America that she participated in a few years ago. Phyllis Friedman, Western States Director, reminded us that ORT badly needs our time and financial support.

Jonathan and Leandro were in the Bay Area as part of a cultural exchange program between Hillel of Silicon Valley and Hillel Argentina. 20 students were here for about 10 days visiting Silicon Valley companies, touring Stanford University, meeting with groups such as ORT, and learning about the Silicon Valley Jewish community. In honor of this event, the youth group at Congregation Shir Hadash, CASH/NFTY, raised money for ORT Argentina. We thank them for this contribution.

We wish to thank the following ORT members for their help in putting on this event: Bernice Parris for providing the room; Randi Brenowitz and Phyllis Friedman for speaking; Bobi Levine, Nancy McMahon, Hayley Green Smith, and Alice Wald for providing the yummy desserts; and Hillel of Silicon Valley for sponsoring the cultural exchange that made this event possible. (H.G.S.)

Note: If you are interested in more information about Argentina's financial crisis, there is plenty of information on the Internet. News sites such as CNN have archives of articles that you can search.

Free! Free! Free!

Now that I’ve gotten your attention…how about some free experience to beef up your resume? Silicon Valley Chapter needs a Bulletin Editor to put together a bi-monthly 4-8 page newsletter. Here’s your chance to do a great mitzvah – helping to keep the chapter alive, letting all the members feel involved, keeping interim Bulletin Editor Hayley Green Smith from losing her mind. Please help!

You don’t have to write all the articles yourself – practice your delegation skills. All you have to do is decide what articles you need (with input from the Board), assign someone to write them, and put it all together using your word processing or desktop publishing software. Then take it to Kinko’s or the place of your choice to be copied. (Or get someone else to take it!)

Wendy Fotland will take it to the post office for you. Hayley will give you ORT information to include and whatever other help you need. It’s easy! Contact our bulletin team if you’re interested. And if you’d like to get our more frequent email announcements, please give your email address to Hayley. (W.F.)

ORT Remembers Colonel Ilan Ramon

If you are on the SVORT email list, you received an email about the successful launch of the space shuttle Columbia on January 16. The shuttle is important to ORT because Colonel Ilan Ramon, z”l, the first Israeli astronaut, was conducting an experiment put together by the students at ORT Kiryat Motzkin, near Haifa.

ORT Kiryat Motzkin’s project was a chemical garden that studies whether the lack of gravitational forces in space affects the development of crystals. Although the physical evidence was destroyed when the shuttle tragically broke up during re-entry on February 1, Colonel Ramon had emailed back the results, confirming the ORT team’s predictions. (Source: Jewish Chronicle, February 7, 2003.)

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the students have created a memorial to Colonel Ramon at the school with a collection of pictures and newspaper stories about him and the
flight. (H.G.S.)

Message From the Board

As I write this, it is the month of Adar I on the Hebrew calendar. The month of Adar II starts on March 4th, and the reading of the Megillah, known to many as Purim, is on March 17th.

This is the time when the Scroll of Esther (Megillah) is read in synagogue, and we get to make noise when Haman’s name is mentioned. It is a time to be joyous and, of course, to eat, usually triangular foods, most notably Hamantaschen.

You may be asking yourself, “What does Purim have to do with Women’s American ORT?” Believe it or not, Purim and Women’s American ORT have a lot in common. One of the missions of WAO is to, “strengthen the worldwide Jewish community by empowering people to achieve economic self-sufficiency through technological and vocational education within a Jewish framework.”

We do this by, “providing financial support and leadership within the global ORT network of schools and programs, including” Israel, the Former Soviet Union, and Argentina. One of the customs on Purim is to give mishlo’ah manot, sending gifts to the disadvantaged.

As Arthur Waskow writes in his book Seasons of Our Joy, “The tradition grew up that at least two different poor people must be recipients of a gift from each household. The command to give this tzedakah on Purim is separate…from the general obligation of tzedakah…”

Our responsibility as ORTists, to help people achieve self-sufficiency, is magnified during this season of special giving.

Women’s American ORT also, “advocates on behalf of quality education, democratic values, human rights, and the security of Jewish communities globally.” We read in the Scroll of Esther that Esther is hesitant about approaching King Ahasuerus about Haman’s evil decree.

Mordechai responds, “Do not imagine in your soul that you will be able to escape in the king’s palace any more than the rest of the Jews. For if you persist in keeping silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, while you and your father’s house will perish….” (The Stone Edition Tanach, Esther 4:13-14)

In her book Jewish Days, Francine Klagsbrun writes, “It is a statement of connectedness – of Esther to the Jewish people, of Jews to one another, and ultimately, of all people to all others. Nobody is safe…unless people assume responsibility for one another.” We, as ORTists are doing this, and as Jews we have a responsibility to make sure our local communities are safe and secure.

In other words, we have an obligation to help communities in need, such as the Jewish community in Argentina, which you will read about elsewhere in these pages. We also have an obligation to express joy, which may help relieve, if only for a short time, our anguish over our own economic problems.

So, as you are getting ready to bake a batch of Hamantaschen or go to synagogue for the Megillah reading, think about what Purim signifies: the Tzedakah, the community, the food, and the joyousness. The Talmud says, “When Adar comes, gladness increases.” So, be happy, it’s Adar! (H.G.S.)

Mother's Day Gift Wrap is Coming!

Once again we have agreed to gift wrap for the mall for Mother’s Day, from May 2nd through May 11th. The mall is paying us $3000 to offer free wrapping to their customers. Last year we collected an additional $1000 in tips. It was great – we didn’t have to set up our booth or figure out prices, and the lines only got long on Mother’s Day and the day before.

But we need someone to do the schedule for these ten days. If no one volunteers to do Mother’s Day scheduling, and then Christmas scheduling, we will cancel Christmas gift wrap for 2003. Wendy will train you, but she is not going to be in charge of scheduling anymore. It would be a shame to not have this fundraiser anymore, not only for the money, but because some members only come to gift wrap every year and nothing else, and it really is fun. But it will be gone if we don’t get a new volunteer. If you’d like to see gift wrap this year or ever, please contact Wendy to volunteer! (W.F.)

And the Winner Is...

…you, if you come to our fifth annual Oscar party and correctly predict enough Oscar recipients!

The 75th Annual Academy Awards, with host Steve Martin, will be presented on Sunday, March 23rd at 5:30 p.m. Come to Wendy Fotland’s house at 5 p.m. to watch the stars walk down the red carpet and see the fashion pros and fashion woes. We have TiVo, so we can replay the most outrageous clothes or the best jokes whenever we feel like it.

Academy award nominees were announced February 11th. Download your ballot so you can win fabulous prizes by guessing the winners. And if you have a fabulous prize to donate, please contact Wendy.

We also have to eat! ORT will provide drinks and a main dish to be determined later. If your last name begins with A – M, please bring a dessert; N – Z, please bring a side dish. All food should be parve or dairy.

Admission for this fun-filled evening is $5. But for you, darling, free - if you become a new member that night. Bring yourself, bring a friend, but be there, or we’ll be having fun without you! (W.F.)

Entertainment Book Sale a Success!

ORT Silicon Valley Chapter raised almost $1700 this year from Entertainment book sales. We sold about 25 books fewer than last year, but with Entertainment books being sold at every grocery store and street corner, we did a great job!

Our biggest seller, as usual, was Bobi Levine. She sold an amazing 67 books! What would we do without her? In second place was Wendy Fotland, at 44 books. Other star sellers were Sheila Gold, 32 books; Hayley Green Smith, 22 books; Alice Nichols, 21 books; Lil Schwartzberg, 15 books and Carol Parris, 12 books. Congratulations and thanks to all of them!

Thanks go to everyone who sold even one Entertainment book. Because we sell more books than many other groups, we earn a higher percentage from our sales. (So your friends can donate more money by buying their Entertainment book from you!) Please keep up the good work and get ready to sell more next year. Your efforts help to make this a successful fundraiser and to support our ORT students. (W.F.)

Editor's Note

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to Wendy Fotland. She gives a lot to this chapter: she wrote half of this bulletin, she’s Treasurer-for-Life, and she put a lot of time and effort in scheduling the Gift Wrap booth. Wendy, thank you for all that you do for SVORT!

The ORT Book Club Is Now the Book and Movie Club!

We love books, but we love movies, too! So every other month, we’ll choose a first run movie to attend at a South Bay theater. Maybe we’ll pick one your husband doesn’t want to see. And you’ll save money on a babysitter!

We will see our first movie on Wednesday, March 19th. Watch our website for the film, location and time. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you’ve ever joined us for a book discussion. If time permits, maybe we’ll talk about the movie afterward.

We’re still reading books, of course. On Wednesday, Feb. 26th, we discussed Three Daughters by Letty Cottin Pogrebin, the story of three Jewish daughters coming to terms with the secrets of their past and their paths for the future.

We haven’t decided on a book for April yet, so please check our website for news. Whatever we pick, you’ll have two whole months to read it! New attendees are always welcome. Please bring your book suggestions - Jewish content is not required. We’re just looking for a few good books! (W.F.)

The World's Easiest Fundraiser

Do you have to eat? Do you shop at Safeway? Then you can support ORT every time you shop! Join eScrip, and ORT will earn a percentage of your purchases whenever you shop, and it won’t cost you a thing.

Simply go to www.escrip.com, click on “sign up,” and register your Safeway card number online. Then remember to use your card each time you shop, and ORT will benefit! There is no fee to participate, and your store will make a contribution. If you prefer, call Wendy Fotland, (408) 985-1236, & I’ll handle the registration for you.

Do you shop at Andronicos, Draegers, Lunardi’s, Mollie Stone’s, Payless ShoeSource, The Sharper Image, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Coco’s Restaurant, OfficeMax, Budget Rent A Car, Round Table Pizza, Carl’s Jr., Carrows or Le Boulanger? If you register your credit or debit card number, ORT will earn cash each time you use your card at one of these or other participating merchants, up to 6 or 8% in some cases. Go to eScrip’s website for a complete list of merchants and the contribution amount for each. Register online or call Wendy!

Silicon Valley Chapter currently has about 30 eScrip supporters, and we earn $50 or more each month. If we doubled or tripled that number, we’d earn that much more money! It’s so easy, register today, before you spend another cent at Safeway. ORT needs your support – don’t let that money get away! (W.F.)

It's Never Too Early to Think About Rosh Hashanah Honey

As we go to press, I have just received information about this year’s Rosh Hashanah Honey sale. Rosh Hashanah starts on September 26. Honey forms will be due in mid-June. Forms will be available in the next issue of Chai Lights and online. Additionally, we hope to be able to have online ordering available. Watch for the next bulletin for more information.

Women's American ORT, Silicon Valley Chapter
Spring 2003 Calendar of Events

Book & Movie Club The Pianist	March 19, 2003 Meet at 6:40 p.m., movie starts at 7:00 p.m.	Century 25 Saratoga & Prospect	Wendy Fotland

5th Annual Oscar Party	March 23, 2003 5:30 p.m.	Private Home	Wendy Fotland

Book Club Meeting	May 1, 2003 7:30 p.m.	Private Home San Jose	Wendy Fotland

Mother's Day Gift Wrap	May 2-11, 2003	Valley Fair Mall San Jose	Wendy Fotland

Yom Ha-atzmaut Celebration	May 7, 2003 4-7 p.m.	Blackford Community Campus San Jose	Wendy Fotland

Preserving Memories, An Evening with Judy Kancigor	May 20, 2003 7:30 p.m.	Private Home	Wendy Fotland

Art for ORT	June 8, 2003 11 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Palo Alto	info@svort.org

Scrapbook Demonstration	June 26, 2003 7:00 p.m.	Private Home San Jose	Wendy Fotland