A transformative travel experience in your own neighborhood

This January’s groundbreaking Panim el Panim (meaning Face to Face in Hebrew) program will bring together the enthusiasm, dynamism and energy of Bay Area women with 10 exemplary Israeli women.  The ‘reverse-mission' will be a consciousness-raising opportunity to learn and explore common bonds. Attend any of the programs, in any of the regions, free of charge.

In Marin Tuesday morning, January 26, we begin in Marin at the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies. There will be an engaging collaborative presentation and discussion on environmental issues in Israel and the United States led by environment experts Ellie Cohen, President and CEO of Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science, and Sigal Yaniv Feller, Director of the Green Environment Fund in Israel. Following the presentation and discussion, join us as we head to a nearby private home to enjoy lunch and a Jewish learning experience with two reputable local scholars: Rachel Brodie, Executive Director of Jewish Milestones, and Rabbi Chai Levy, Rabbi at Congregation Kol Shofar.  Be inspired by a lively discussion about what it means to “repair the world” and what place social justice has in Jewish law and traditions.

In San Francisco Tuesday evening, January 26, there will be two San Francisco programs for you to choose from. Wednesday evening, January 27, at 7:00 pm, join us for a kosher dinner and conversation with a few of our visitors on this “reverse mission.” Four of our Israeli guests will lead a panel discussion “Navigating the Fabric of Israeli Society – 4 Women Making an Impact.”

In the North Peninsula Wednesday, January 27, we travel to the North Peninsula. Enjoy lunch with North Peninsula women and our Israeli guests for a conversation entitled “Navigating the Social Fabric of Israeli Society,”  where attendees can learn and share their thoughts with one another. That evening Peninsula Temple Sholom will host “Change Makers: Face to Face with Four Israeli Women Making an Impact,”  a dessert reception that includes a panel presentation and roundtable discussions moderated by Rabbi Kim Ettlinger and greetings by Consul General of Israel Akiva Tor.

In the South Peninsula Thursday, January 28, we make our way to the South Peninsula at the new Oshman Family JCC.  Join South Peninsula women for “Women Taking Action: Strengthening the Social Fabric of Israeli Society, Intimate Conversations with Panim el Panim guests” for a lunch and learn. The five topics will be:

• Women's Empowerment and Women’s Status in Israel
• “Justice, Justice, You Shall Pursue”: Envisioning the Jewish State, Jewish Values and Social Action in Israel
• Disadvantaged Communities  in Israel: Closing the Gaps and Repairing the Divides
• Building Grassroots Efforts: Empowering Social Activists in Israel
• Jerusalem Today: Safeguarding Pluralism in the Complex Reality of Jerusalem.

Stay to enjoy the JCC facilities and connect with our Israeli guests in a more informal manner. Then attend the evening program “(Jewish) Women as Change-Makers in Israel and the US,” a facilitated discussion by UpStart Bay Area educator Maya Bernstein, along with 3 Israeli women and 3 local women.

The Shabbaton retreat will be wrapping up the week’s events. This 24 hour get-away in beautiful Half Moon Bay is a bonding experience featuring memorable Jewish women speakers in addition to the workshops, Shabbat services, and discussions over delicious catered meals.

Reserve your spot You can sign up for any of these events at www.sfjcf.org/groups/women/2010/panim.htm Get the early bird rate for the retreat by January 5. Visit us online for more information at www.panim2.wordpress.com