After almost 100 years at 2 Lake Street, Congregation Emanu-El has launched Emanu-El Next

Since the 1800’s, Emanu-El has been where we’ve educated our children, found sense of self and fostered a community.

Emanu-El Next will transform Emanu-El’s physical infrastructure, and build our endowment and our capacity to serve our sacred Jewish community. Our home, however, is in great need of repair and renovation. Our building was not designed to meet today’s seismic or security standards, nor does it welcome intimate gatherings or allow us to provide the kind of quality education we would like. 

What This Project Will Achieve

Our building is comprised of three elements – the Main Sanctuary, the Courtyard Wing and the Temple House. Congregation Emanu-El is proposing construction of a new Courtyard Wing within the existing Lake Street and Arguello façades, along with significant upgrades to the adjacent Temple House. This project provides an opportunity to address the seismic and safety needs of the Courtyard Wing, and to expand our ability to meet the strategic goal to be a welcoming, accessible home to all Jews throughout the Bay Area.  

Our Six Strategic Initiatives

To ensure the continuity of the congregation and the building, we have identified six strategic initiatives that will be met with this campaign. 

We have to prioritize safety and security improvements – a significant investment is necessary to address existing seismic challenges in the Courtyard Wing. Additional improvements will include new areas for both large gatherings and intimate interactions, from learning classrooms to areas of play. These spaces will facilitate life-cycle events and the improvement of one’s self through enlightened exchange. It’s time to move our place of worship and community into the 21st century with a cutting edge, functional, warm and safe haven open to all those looking to enrich their lives in the Jewish faith.

What's New With Emanu-El Next

Donor Spotlight: Lisa Stern - June 2023

In our sixteenth donor spotlight, Lisa Stern shares why she feels its so important to make Congregation Emanu-El more accessible to others and why she feels its her duty to give back to her community.

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Donor Spotlight: Lisa Stern - June 2023

Growing up in both reform and conservative synagogues, Lisa was aware of the divide between what boys and girls were allowed to do. She became passionate about gender equity from a young age. Curious about the taboo subject of abortion, in middle school she wrote a paper on Roe v. Wade that animated her interest in the field of reproductive healthcare. She began volunteering in hospitals as a ninth grader, and has since worked in clinics, done research, and now works in policy and strategy. “Over the years, I’ve done as much as I possibly could do in my field,” Lisa said. “I’ve always liked the medical setting – I’m not put off by the corporeal aspects of it – but what I really love are the human interactions.”

Lisa currently works to advance reproductive freedom as Deputy Director at the Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access (CECA). She also teaches nursing and medical students at UCSF, where she earned her master’s degree in the History of Health Sciences. Driven by a deep sense of justice and social responsibility – values informed by her Jewish faith – she believes that healthcare systems and policy need to be improved in order to ensure justice for all people, and has felt an even greater sense of urgency since becoming a parent. She lives in San Francisco with her two year old daughter, Rosalind, who starts preschool in the fall.

When she moved to the Bay a decade ago, she saw the Emanu-El dome from the window of her first apartment in the city. She felt warmly welcomed by Rabbi Jonathan and the Membership Director, Terry Kraus, but she found it difficult to navigate a community that was so much larger than the small synagogue where she grew up.

“My difficulty was actually part of what led me to get more involved, both to deepen my own experience, but also to make the synagogue more accessible and navigable to others,” she said. Lisa’s father was president of their local synagogue for part of her childhood. She attended shabbat services with her grandmother, went to Jewish day school, and her family kept kosher. It seemed like every day of the week there was something Jewish happening in her life.

At a smaller synagogue, one might find a sign-up sheet for Friday night dinner, or even a communal meal after service. But Lisa struggled to find natural social opportunities at Emanu-El. “It wasn’t a sit down and know the person next to you kind of setting.” She tends to develop a connection to her community by getting involved as a volunteer. “We’re so lucky at Emanu-El to have a lot of clergy, staff, and established volunteers who make the place run beautifully. So I had to look a little harder to find a way in.”

Her involvement started with the Membership Committee. Then she joined the Board, and was part of the Leadership and Nominating Committee, working to ensure the synagogue was open to everyone regardless of gender, sexuality, or background. She’s become a force ensuring no one is left behind in our congregation’s mission for inclusion and diversity.

“I was very surprised when I joined the board that as far as anyone could tell me, this was the first time that someone who was part of the LGBTQ community had been on the Board. I don’t think it’s at all a new thing to the congregation, so it surprised me that it was a new thing on the Board. Now there are at least three or four of us on the Board who identify as LGBTQ.”

Lisa believes that her identity as a Jew has made her attuned to issues of inclusion and exclusion. She’s personally comfortable with how Emanu-El treats LGBTQ congregants, but wants Emanu-El to become more accessible for Jews of color and non-Jewish members of the community. “What inspires me about Emanu-El Next is that I appreciate the focus on how we’re all building this brick by brick together,” she said. “In the Torah, when the Jews are creating the Mishkan, they’re traveling the desert and everyone participates. The whole community is part of that effort.”

Issues of inclusion and exclusion are not limited to identity, but can be found across wealth disparities. Lisa feels it can be easier to think someone else with greater wealth will take care of funding a major effort like Emanu-El Next. “As if that’s not my job,” she said. “But for me, it felt important to participate as generously as I’m able, and even if that’s not the same dollar amount as some other congregants, it’s meaningful. Not only is it meaningful to the institution, but it’s also meaningful to me and it’s important to me that this is something we all are creating together.”

As young as she can remember, giving and tzedakah were central to her values. Her giving is more than a choice – It comes from a sense of obligation. “I’m a more traditional Jew in a lot of ways. I really think about what is commanded of us, and I think of my gift as: this is our institution, and these are our rabbis, staff, and volunteers who support us in our hour of need. It’s on me to help the community, but also to help myself, by giving to the community.” As her philanthropy evolved over the years, she came to focus less on the amount but rather on the spirit of participation. “I used to think I don’t have much to give and I should only give where I can make the biggest difference. But now I understand that giving is about more than money. It’s about building community, and everyone’s contribution matters.”

 

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.
Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!
This article appeared in a June edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.
What's Next for Emanu-El Next - May 2023

As construction begins in mid-June and we plan to move some of our programs out of our building, we will continue to keep you updated on the latest developments and changes at Emanu-El.

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What's Next for Emanu-El Next - May 2023

We’re excited to move forward with Emanu-El Next and want to keep you updated every step of the way. As construction begins in mid-June and we plan to move some of our programs out of our building, we will continue to keep you updated through the Chronicle, emails, and at upcoming events.  Here are the latest developments for Emanu-El Next.

  • We recently completed the city entitlement process on January 12th – a huge milestone for Emanu-El Next. We are proud of all the hard work that went into this process, and thankful for the city officials who took the time to review and approve our project.
  • We invite you to join us on June 4th from 11am-1pm for our GROUNDBREAKING EVENT! This momentous occasion will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Emanu-El’s history. Look out for a Save-the-Date in coming weeks!
  • Starting Fall of 2023, our Preschool and Youth and Family Education program will be relocated to Star of the Sea on Geary and 8th Thank you to our friends at Star of the Sea for providing an excellent location to continue to help our child learn and grow. If you have questions, please contact Nika Greenberg, Senior Director of Operations and Early Education, at [email protected]
  • We’re thrilled with the success of our fundraising so far, but we haven’t reached out goal yet! If you’d like to participate, there are a few ways to do so. You can visit the donation page on our website (https://www.emanuelsf.org/emanu-el-next/) and donate directly. Or you can contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at [email protected] or 415-750-7557.

We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of all our congregants, donors, staff, and volunteers who have made Emanu-El Next possible. Thank you for your help in making our dream for Emanu-El’s future a reality, and we’ll continue to be in touch with updates.

City Planning Commission Unanimously Approves Emanu-El Next Building Renovation Project - Mar 2023

On Thursday, January 12, the San Francisco Planning Commission gave Emanu-El NEXT the green light to proceed!

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City Planning Commission Unanimously Approves Emanu-El Next Building Renovation Project - Mar 2023

We are excited to share that on Thursday, January 12, the San Francisco Planning Commission gave Emanu-El NEXT the green light to proceed! Our preparations for this hearing were extensive, including significant community outreach and coordination with legal counsel, our architects, and additional consultants. The thoughtful and moving testimony that our congregants and neighbors gave to the commissioners showed the positive impact that Emanu-El has on so many.

With this approval, we expect to break ground in mid-June of 2023 and will keep you apprised about the status of the project over the coming months as the construction phase gets closer. Though the Planning Commission unanimously approved our project, that decision comes paired with conditions of approval that are a typical part of the development process and include working with the Planning Department on final details. Our team will continue to collaborate with city planning staff to resolve these conditions as the project progresses towards construction.

Thank you to the entire Emanu-El family of congregants, volunteers, committee members and donors. We are fortunate to have such a supportive community and capable leadership to help guide this complex project forward. We are extremely grateful that so many of you have stepped up in a multitude of ways to ensure that our beloved synagogue remains a vibrant, safe, and flourishing center of Jewish life for the next 100 years and beyond!

 

To participate, please contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at: [email protected] or 415 750 7557.
Or make a generous contribution today by clicking the following link to our Donation page!
This article appeared in a March edition of The Emanu-El Chronicle.
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Our Impact Over Time

  • 1906
  • 1920s
  • 1963
  • 1969 - 1989
  • 1985
  • 1995
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 1900
  • 1920
  • 1940
  • 1960
  • 1980
  • 2000

San Francisco Earthquake Recovery Efforts

Following the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger led recovery efforts through instituting an ad hoc ambulance system and spearheading hunger relief and housing programs for the homeless and others suffering due to the disaster.  

An Opportunity to Serve

Building on the history of community service, Emanu-El women volunteered to sew bandages for local hospital patients.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Addresses our Congregation

Committed to racial justice, Rabbi Alvin Fine invited the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to address Congregation Emanu-El as he led our nation in the struggle for civil rights. Emanu-El continues to partner with a diverse coalition of local and national organizations in the pursuit of social justice.

Soviet Jews Welcomed

Congregation Emanu-El’s members organized efforts that advocated for persecuted Soviet Jews to emigrate to the United States to find religious freedom and economic opportunity. The congregation continues to support efforts for international human rights.

The HIV/AIDS Epidemic

At a time when mainstream religious groups avoided confronting the HIV/AIDS crisis, Emanu-El clergy addressed the issue through bold sermons and activated the community to respond by raising funds for the Shanti Project. Throughout the 1980s, Emanu-El developed initiatives to respond to the AIDS crisis and combat pervasive homophobia. 

Protecting the Redwoods

Rabbi Stephen Pearce viewed halting the clear-cutting of the redwood ecosystem as our moral obligation. Here, Rabbi Pearce’s effort to protect something larger than Emanu-El is carried out by joining with interfaith leaders and environmentalists to save Northern California’s treasured forests.

Standing Up Against Hate

When white nationalist hate groups announced their intention to demonstrate in San Francisco, Emanu-El hosted the city-wide Interfaith Gathering Against Hate. Emanu-El works in coalition with local civic and religious organizations dedicated to strengthening our democracy and promoting the civil rights of all people. Photo courtesy of Laura Paull for J. The Jewish News of Northern California.

Confronting the San Francisco Housing Crisis

Congregants conduct food, supply and clothing drives to benefit homeless youth at Larkin Street Youth Services. In 2018, Emanu-El partnered with city and business leaders to launch Heading Home, a $30 million initiative to transition 800 homeless families into permanent housing. 

Driven by the core Jewish belief of tikkun olam, to make the world a better place, Emanu-El has a long history of deep involvement in the local community. 

Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

After almost 100 years at 2 Lake Street, Congregation Emanu-El is proposing construction of a new Courtyard Wing within the existing Lake Street and Arguello façades, along with significant upgrades to the adjacent Temple House. This project provides an opportunity to address seismic and safety needs of the Courtyard Wing and to expand the ability to meet the strategic goal to be a welcoming, accessible home to all Jews throughout the Bay Area.

To ensure the continuity of the congregation and the building we have identified six strategic initiatives that will be met with this campaign:

  1. Safe, Secure and Sustainable
  2. Welcoming
  3. Small Gatherings and Intimate Spaces
  4. Joyous Celebrations
  5. State-of-the-Art Education
  6. Financial Accessibility

The project will add approximately 20,000 square feet of usable space, predominantly in the Courtyard Wing, with approximately 2,400 square feet (of the 20,000 square feet) added to the Temple House.  

In order to achieve its six strategic initiatives, Emanu-El is undertaking the Emanu-El Next project. The various components of Emanu-El Next include construction of a new Courtyard Wing within the existing Lake Street and Arguello façade, significant upgrades to the Temple House, and a campaign to fund both the hard and soft costs of this construction and increase the size of the endowment.

This investment will transform Emanu-El both with respect to its physical infrastructure and its capacity to serve the community. Guiding these efforts are six initiatives that capture our vision for Emanu-El Next:

Safe, Secure and Sustainable: Emanu-El Next will invest in modernizing and upgrading the Courtyard Wing to today’s seismic standards. The temple will also be redesigned to incorporate best practices in security, with one entrance with multiple layers of security, the perimeter of the building entirely secured, and the children’s play area relocated to the top floor. The original building was designed to be open and accessible in a period very unlike today, when security practices are absolutely necessary.

Warm and Welcoming: Emanu-El Next will restore the original entrance from Lake Street with an inviting welcome center that leads into a light-filled courtyard that draws focus toward the Main Sanctuary. The Courtyard Wing will be bustling with people making friends, taking classes and engaging with the community. This welcoming ethos will be incorporated into the entire building, with a design focused on fostering engagement and accessibility to meet the needs of all community members.

Small Gatherings and Intimate Spaces: Emanu-El’s current building is packed beyond capacity, with more than 1,100 programs taking place annually, students studying in stairwells, and adult education courses being held in classrooms designed for children. With this transformation, Emanu-El will become the perfect destination to enjoy small, intimate gatherings through the creation of new, flexible spaces such as a lounge, the Jewish Experience Lab, classrooms with modern technology, and small conference rooms.

Joyous Celebrations: Emanu-El Next will focus on renovating and updating Guild Hall to serve as its premier event location. While Guild Hall has many built-in advantages, it is not currently set up to meet the needs of congregants who want to celebrate milestones and simchas surrounded by family and friends. We will update the space to bring in more natural light, provide a more central entrance, add modern amenities and create greater flexibility to allow for multiple events at the same time. The space will pay tribute to our beloved building’s history and be available year-round for B’nei Mitzvah, parties, weddings, and other life-affirming events. The renovated space will also allow Emanu-El to make more room available for our community partners, such as those working in the social justice sector.

State-of-the-Art Education: Education is central to Jewish practice and a core value for Emanu-El. Yet our classrooms are undersized, outdated, and without modern technology. In Emanu-El Next, classrooms will be designed to correspond with best practices in modern educational approaches – larger rooms with more open space that allow for collaborative activities and experiential learning, outside environments for learning and play (such as gardens), and integrated technological infrastructure.

Financial Accessibility: A crucial part of the Emanu-El Next project is to make a significant investment in our reserves and endowment. The future of Emanu-El is dependent on our ability to welcome all Jews looking to practice and explore Judaism regardless of their economic circumstances. We currently offer membership to anyone who would like to join, and we need additional resources to sustain this model. Simply raising our dues and fees to match rising expenses would make it too difficult for many of our members to actively participate in Jewish life. The increase in our endowment will help secure a future with a vibrant membership from diverse backgrounds and ensure there are sufficient resources to maintain our beautiful new home and provide a wide range of high-quality programs and services.

Construction will start depending on approvals from the City and funding for the project. Given the necessary City approvals, we anticipate construction to start sometime in 2023. 

Our intention is to carry out the proposed improvements as one project. We are seeking approvals that would give us flexibility to build the project as one phase, or should it become necessary, two. If it were to become a two-phase project, the Courtyard Wing would likely precede the Temple House changes, although the order could be reversed. 

While existing programs will likely continue, we do anticipate the new spaces will allow new programming as a result of the enhancements created by improved facilities and finances. Some examples include:

  • The Jewish Experience Lab – an innovation lab to allow for Jewish experiential learning through creation and collaboration
  • Community Empowerment Zone – new and updated Emanu-El Next space allows for more collaboration with community organizations
  • New Welcome Center – provides interactive information about what’s going on at Emanu-El
  • Café Emanu-El – a place to relax, gather and look at the latest in Jewish media
  • The Jewish Meditation Place – for meditation, Yiddish yoga, etc.
  • Small Gathering Spaces – will allow us to focus on learning groups, providing engagement for adults without children
  • Emanu-El Next Beit Midrash – the library reimagined, with texts available in book form and tablets

We are designing and budgeting for enhanced security measures at the entry and throughout the building, and to maintain on-going staff.

Security is a top priority, although it needs to be balanced against our desire to welcome our congregants. The renovation plans have been reviewed with a security firm, and we will continue consulting with them on an ongoing basis.

We do not believe it is in our community’s best interest to specify the security improvements, except to say that our protocols have been adjusted in light of recent events and will continue to be reviewed and reconsidered as additional information becomes available. We ask for our congregants’ understanding and patience in the event they are inconvenienced as a result of our enhanced security protocols.

During construction, the contractor will have a site safety plan in place to address access as well as the impact from construction. There will be a designated site safety contact who can be reached at any time.

The project will include renovation or new construction of approximately 72,000 sq.ft. total within the new Courtyard Wing and renovated Temple House.

After construction, the net increase in square feet is only about 20,000 square feet more than the total amount of square feet that exists today. The net increase in space is located predominantly in the Courtyard Wing, but about 2,400 (of the 20,000) square feet is new space added to the Temple House by way of a new dormer. 

The Temple was built before the existing 40 ft. height limit was put in place and you can see that the dome and the Temple House exceed the 40 ft. limit. The additional floor and rooftop play yard on top of the new Courtyard Wing will be higher than the existing Courtyard structure, but it will still be significantly lower than the top of the Temple House. The new dormer on the Temple House will also exceed 40 ft. but it, too, will be lower than the existing highest points of the Temple House.

The exterior footprint is not increasing.

Gould Evans is the master plan architect and completed the master plan in 2017. Mark Cavagnero Associates is the design architect.

We are relocating the preschool play area to the rooftop to achieve a higher degree of safety and security.

There will be some additional minimal programming on the rooftop, mostly during the daytime, such as the annual Sukkot celebration.

We are not anticipating increased enrollment above the 123 we are currently licensed for, but as we have in the past, we will continue to experience annual enrollment fluctuations. 

We will be working with a transportation consultant and civil engineer to create a new drop-off location along the reinstated original entry on Lake Street.

Bollards will be added along Lake Street for safety.

Efforts will be made to leave existing vegetation along Lake Street and Arguello. 

While there may be less expensive approaches to address only seismic and security needs, this is an opportunity to reposition Congregation Emanu-El with a safe and welcoming facility that meets its programmatic needs of the next century. Addressing the seismic and security needs does affect significant portions of the building, so this would be the most efficient time to also make other improvements that meet Emanu-El’s strategic goals, such as creating welcoming space for large and small gatherings and ensuring long-term financial accessibility.

Youth and Family Education will benefit from upgraded facilities throughout the Temple House and new facilities surrounding the Courtyard Wing. All classrooms will receive technology upgrades. The modernized spaces, along with innovations in curriculum, will improve the overall YFE experience.

The projected cost of the project is $79M all-in with an $18M endowment campaign (for a total of $97M). This includes hard construction costs, design costs (architects, engineers), project management, permits, fundraising and financing, relocation, contingency and an endowment. 

The primary cost of the project will be covered by broad support from the Emanu-El community, but we are also looking to several foundations. We are relying on contributions to the Emanu-El Next campaign, not increased dues.

The Board approves all investment-related policies. The Investment Subcommittee of the Finance Committee is charged with oversight of the management of the endowment and for directing the CFAO (Chief Financial and Administrative Officer) relative to investment activity.

We are relying on donor contributions to the Emanu-El Next campaign, not increased dues, to pay for the project.

The only planned increase to membership dues is the annual increase we would have anticipated independent of the building project. Membership dues typically increase annually to cover increases in operating costs (staff, utilities, program innovation). The increased endowment will help us keep dues increases to a customary level, which have been under 3% over the past several years.  

We are increasing the endowment by $18 million, and the resulting increased interest from the endowment, together with our on-going annual revenues, will more than meet the need for any increased maintenance costs. We have already received contributions that can be used for this purpose only.

The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted Emanu-El’s normal income stream in dues, giving, and fees, particularly school fees, and will likely do so even more over the next fiscal year. Emanu-El made the decision to keep our team, including our full clergy team, administrators, our incredible pre-school and YFE teachers and the maintenance staff who has served us so well over the decades. In order to do so, we applied for and were approved for an SBA Payroll Protection Program loan. We likely would have been forced into other decisions without the PPP loan.

Our PPP loan was approved by the bank and the SBA, and will be carefully used according to the program’s guidelines. We are grateful we were able to secure approval due to the incredible efforts of several senior staff and volunteers on our finance committee. Our approval also took a little luck, as funds were claimed quickly and not all who were eligible were able to secure funding. This left many worthy non-profits in a situation where they did not receive funding through no fault of their own. We asked our congressional representatives to pass additional funding measures and are encouraged that Congress has done so.

As always, we have been a community partner and continue to focus our efforts on serving our congregation and the broader community by ensuring other worthy non-profits obtain the help they need.

Emanu-El will go through a qualification and proposal process to select a general contractor with experience building projects of similar scope and scale.

We anticipate construction to last approximately 22 months. But we believe that work in the Temple House, which includes the Martin Meyer Sanctuary, will be completed in 12-15 months (one school year) allowing that building to come back on line more quickly. 

We are working very hard to minimize disruption from construction.

Based on the experience of other synagogues during construction, we do not anticipate that members will leave as a result of the project, though our membership is constantly fluctuating due to people moving in and out of the area and changing family needs.

There will not be any pile driving. There will be other noise generated from construction activities such as noise from demolition, excavation, concrete, steel, and building enclosure work. The contractor will be required to follow City regulations regarding any noise-generating activity.

The City of San Francisco allows construction from 7 am – 8 pm seven days a week, including holidays.

We do not anticipate regular weekend construction, although there may be certain activities that occasionally need to be scheduled on the weekend. These will be coordinated in advance with Emanu-El staff, and notice will be provided to congregants and neighbors of any disruption to regular activities. Typically construction will occur on weekdays between 7 am – 4 pm. 

The contractor will be required to follow City-mandated protocols for noise, dust and vibration – all of which will be monitored during construction through a construction management plan, the details of which will be provided closer to construction.

We will conduct an extensive outreach process, will designate a single point of contact for neighbors to contact, and provide updates on our website.

We will not be shutting down the preschool.

We anticipate needing to move the preschool to an alternate location for one year.

We have a team, including the preschool director, which is working on identifying potential locations for the preschool during construction.

We will minimize the impact to Bar and Bat Mitzvah scheduling to the extent possible by scheduling as much work as possible in the summertime. The Main Sanctuary will remain available for B’nei Mitzvah throughout construction.

The contractor will likely need to use the parking lane along Arguello and/or Lake Street for work in the sidewalk/street and for deliveries. They will coordinate safe drop-off access to the Main Sanctuary as needed for on-going programming and events, to be more fully described in the construction management plan. 

Congregation Emanu-El will require its contractor to provide off-site parking for its workers and to encourage them to use public transportation to reach the site, the details of which will be more fully developed in the construction management plan. All-day paid parking is available in the Presidio.

The contractor will follow City requirements to minimizethe impact to neighborhood parking and will use traffic controllers when there are large deliveries. 

Emanu-El Next Supporters

We would like to thank our generous donors for making Emanu-El Next a reality. We have always been a place for people who are not afraid to dream and build for the future of San Francisco, and we are proud to see how our community has embraced this bold new vision. Thank you for your generosity to our campaign, your dedication to our congregation and your strong belief in its future!
$25M+
Anonymous
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Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund
$7,500,000 - $9,999,999
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Anthony Brenner
Libi Cape
Larry & Kimberlee Colvin
Robert & Randi Fields
Andrew & Cynthia Friedman
Robert Friedman
Susan & David Golden
Angela Lin & David Goldman**
Susie & Alan* Greinetz
Wendy Kesser
Irina & Sasha** Kovriga
Cheryl Frank & Michael Linn
Melanie & Peter** z”l Maier
Eve & Harvey z”l Masonek
Laurie & Joel* Roos
Julie Goldman & Bob Rosner
William & Alice Russell-Shapiro
Charlene & Bart Schachter
Jake Schatz & Katie Albright
Susan Diamond* & Martin Schenker
Sally & Jim** Shapiro
Rabbis Beth & Jonathan Singer
Vera & Harold** Stein
Sara & Don** Sweet
Esta, David & Howard Swig Family
Wendy Tonkin & Family
William Witte & Patricia Sakamoto
$25,000 - $49,999
Anonymous (3)
Allison & Ron Abta
Myrna & Stuart** Aronoff
Alisa Arquilevich & Rabbi Ryan Bauer
Lenore Naxon, Bill & Ilana Black
Elyse Salven-Blatt
Jeffrey Bornstein & David Bornstein
The Burrows Family
Charles** & Margaret Charnas
Kevin & Christine Chessen
Frances Dinkelspiel
Sandra & Conrad Donner
Betsy & Roy Eisenhardt
Howard & Carol Fine
Frankel Family Foundation
Lisa Zuckerman Gamshad & Mohsen Gamshad
The Goozh Family
Gregory & Kristi Grunberg
Kelly & Mike Halper
Lynn Altshuler & Stanley Herzstein
Tali Rapaport & Nick Josefowitz
Dorothea & Kevin Kaz
Susan L Rothstein & John Koeppel
Sharonjean & Richard Leeds
Meredith & Erez Levy
Libitzky Family Foundation
Howard & Siesel Maibach
Susan May
Rabbi Sydney Mintz & Family
Laura Myers
Richard & Carol** Nathan
Bernard** & Gail Nebenzahl
Mark & Susan Oscherwitz
Brian & Karen Perlman
Nelli & Kevin Perkins
Gunilla Haegerström-Portnoy and Robert Portnoy
Erica & Ben Portnoy
Maxine & Justin Raphael
Toby & Sally Rosenblatt
Sandra Bragar** & Jerome Rossen
Marcia & Stephen Ruben
Betty & Jack Schafer
Barbara Shragge
Harmon & Jorun Shragge
Gayle & Eric Starr
Jaimie Sanford & Ted Storey**
Mark A. Sugarman
Lauren & Matthew** Van Horn
Steve & Aimee West
Michael Zwibelman
$10,000 - $24,999
Lorna & Stanley O. z”l Altshuler
David J Arrick
Anita Barzman, MD
Cathy & Lance Bayer
Eileen & Nersi* Boussina
Shelley Bransten and Ethan & Elliot Perelmuter
David & Heather Coffman
Susan & Richard Colsky
Andy** & Suzy Colvin
Joshua & Jackie Endler
Michael Engle & Amy Saper
The Friedman-Lowenthal Family
Ellen A. Friedman
Stan & Stephanie Garber
Gretchen & Robert Kahn Gardner
Kate Ditzler & Stuart Gasner
Meredith Goldsmith
Julia Vetromile & David Goldstein
Alia* & Travis Gorkin, Caryn & Steven Wechsler
Susen Grossman
Gary & Judy Grossman
Marcy Lynn & David Hershenson
Joshua Kazdin
Terry Kraus
Ann Blumlein Lazarus** & Jim Lazarus
Robert & Alexandra Leitstein
Michael Lesh & Ann Kao
Roger Low**
Gregg Lynn & Glenn Risso
Rachel Melman**
Pamela Mann** & Mark Miller
Maxwell z”l & Elaine Myers
Cynthia Ostroff
Alexander & Sarah Papoff
Laurie & Rabbi Stephen Pearce
Dave & Gina Pell
Brian Poger & Silvia Cheskes
Paula Pretlow*
Martin Robinson
Francis Benjamin & Rabbi Jason Rodich
Anne & Martin Roher
Betsy Blumenthal & Jonathan Root
Samuel & Brigitte Saks
Sue Ann Levin Schiff
Adam & Hilary Seligman
Dore’ Selix-Gabby
German & Cynthia Shegalov
Silver Yolles Family
Ruth Stein
Carey Lifschultz & David Stiepleman
Marjorie Swig
Marsha & David Veit
Marilyn & Murry z”l Waldman
Wartell Family
Caroline Kahn Werboff** & Larry Werboff
Wiltsek Family
Tamara & Rob Wolfson
Jill Einstein** & Peter Yolles
Paul Zarefsky**
$5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous (3)
Cantor Marsha Attie
Cantor Roslyn Barak
Ron Blatman** & Emerald Yeh
Bari & Sean Cessna
Andy & Melissa Cohen
Eric Cohen & Patricia Moncada
Erika** & Dovid Coplon
Sarah & Clive Downie
Debra & Stuart Eisendrath
Mac Esters
Lara Ettenson**
Alexandra & Samuel Fell
Zachary & Rachel Felson
Aaron Finegold* & Clement Xue
Jeffrey Fraenkel & Alan Mark
Malcolm Gissen & Judith Cohen
Craig & Marina Greenwood
Stefanie & Chris Gross
Gary Grossman & Michelle Sintov
Louis & Cheryl Haas
Susan Hirsch & Susan Leal
Katie Morris & Joshua Hoffman
Salima Taplin & Matthew Jacobson
Kelsey & Jonathan Kaplan
Lisa & Jed Katz
Ellen Klutznick
Dara Friedman & Robert Kostow
Allan Lerch
Cantor Arik & Rachel Luck
Jeff Magnin
David Melnick
Jeanne Miller
Susan Morris
David Nelson & Inna Gartsman
Oren Henry & David Rak
Ditka Reiner
Lila S. Rich**
Lee-Lan Yip & Dale Rogers
John & Ellen Rothmann
William & Renee Rothmann
Susie & Denis Roy
Francis Scarpulla
Peter & Judith May Schumacher
Rita Semel*
Karen Hall & Steve Sherr
Charles & Shabana Siegel
Kira & Marc Steifman
Susan Swig
Katie & Brian Taylor
Tracy Tilin McKendell
Julie Weinberg
Lisa Stern** & Rebecca Wolff
$3,600 - $4,999
Anonymous (3)
Camille Angel & Wendy Brummer & Lilah Segal-Angel
Denise Aptekar
Terezie & Norman z”l Bohrer
Steven & Jenna Feinberg
The Felsenthal Family
John & Dena Gardi
Elena Gary
Norman** Gordon
Susan G. Hootkins
Robert & Ellen Jasper
Ronald Kahn & Julia Rowe
Ronald & Eva Lackenbacher
Lois & Douglas Lawrence
Kenneth D. Laxer, MD
The Lent Family
Norton/Lisker Family
Claude Lowen
Juliet Sampson & Simon Mays-Smith
Jeanne E. Newman
Frana Price & Rick Ohlrich
Abigail** & Jason Porth
Jessica Dines & Ivan Resnikoff
Murray z”l & Marcia Schneider
Eric Shapiro & Leora Goren
Tim Stuebbe & Motty Pavlovsky
Charlene Tuchman z”l
The Vogel-Denebeim Family
Larry Wolf
$1,800 - $3,599
Anonymous (4)
Connie & Barry Baron
Rabbi Allen B. Bennett
Carol & David Berluti
Anne & Matthew Bertenthal
Peter & Isabel Blumberg
Abigail Brenner, M.D.
The Buchler Family
Rachel & Scott Burger
Eleanor Coffman
Robbie Cohn
Billy & Jessica Deitch
Joan Withers Dinner
Betty Dvorson
Estoque Family
Nancie & Sandy Garfinkel
Elizabeth Goldbaum
Alexandra & Steven Gordon
Marjory Kaplan & Dan Granoff
Linda Gerard & Daniel Grossman
Andrew Heller
Karen Hindin and Abby and Sam Pasternak
Roberta Cohen Holden & Rusty Holden
Jerry & Marilyn Jacobson
Jordan & Alyssa Jaffe
Susan Friedman & Michelle Jean
Leslie Karren
Allyson & Matt Kaufman
Jennifer & Peter Keith
Roberta Keller
Trela Caler & Lexy Loewenstein
Natalie Sacks & John MacGregor
Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann
The Maidman Family
Reed Maltzman & Jennifer Gosselin
Lisa & Alex Mann
Milo & Susanna Miller Benningfield
Patricia & Charles Ortenberg
Meta Pasternak
Erica & Dana Rabb
Morton Rivo
Alanna Klein & Gregory Robin
Barbara Josephine Rolph
Kelly Jane & Alexander Rosenblatt
Amy M. Ross
Cathy Manshel & Bill Rusitzky
Katherine Salazar-Poss & Antonio Salazar-Hobson
Karen Schiller
Ed Segal & Lynne Newhouse Segal
Susan Shafton
Ingeborg Ruth Manber, Helen Manber & Bradley Solomon
Robin & Geoffrey Strawbridge
Chloe & Mark Sugarman
Holli Thier
Leslie Tyler
Joanne & Alan Vidinsky
Albert Villa
Howard & Diane Winer
$1 - $1,799
Anonymous (28)
Amy & Harish Abbott
Audrey Adelson
Alexander & Tracy Akin
Anjali Alban, Jake & Lily Gosline
The Alban Family
The Albucher Family
Paulette Aroesty
Stephanie & Milton Assang
Bailin Family
Jody & David Barkin
Dr. Scott Barshack & Lana Nguyen
Eileen & Ralph Battat
Rosyland & Bob Bauer
Asa Bauer
Paula & Carl Baum
Bay Area Single Jewish Parents Meetup
Ellen & Jon Benjamin
Lisa Berg
Winifred Berman
Richard & Kathleen Bilella
Lenore & Charles Bleadon
Carol & Gene Block
Robert & Claudia Bluhm
Michael & Patricia Blumenthal
Jared & Kimberly Boigon
Joseph Breall
Marilyn & Marvin z”l Brenner
Robin Breuner
Ali & Michael Brody
Nancy Brody
Stan & Julia Bromley
Jeffrey Brown
Trudy & Joseph Burger
Steven Burrows
Sherry Scherotter-Burwen & Michael Burwen
Nancy & Robert Cappelloni
Lynne Carberry
Ivor & Sheryl Caro
Solomon Cera
Judi Cohen & Carl Speizer
Eileen Kahaner & Daniel Coleman
Judy & Brad Colton
Jackie Quella & Philip Conley
Lori & Scott Cooper
Marilyn & Laurence Cosden
Judy & Brent Daniel
Ruth DeHovitz
Cathy & Peter H. Deutsch
Victoria Dobbs
Michael Dubin
Leilani Aster & Peter Dwares
Cynthia Easton
Mendy Eckhaus
Mike Edelstein & Rachel Styne
Diane R. Ehrman
Shirley & Ben Eisler
Kathie & Russell Eng
The Freedmans
Marsha Felton
Marsha Fine
Joanna Forster
Peter Friend
Mahdokht Frouzan
Jennifer** & Robert Futernick
Milton Galant
Jason Geller & Lisa Borah-Geller
Rhoda Gilbert
J. Henry Glazer
Marly & Stephen Goldblatt
Rebecca Goldfader
Will Goldfarb & Heidi Adams
Steven Gothelf
Claire Conly & Kevin Gough
Michelle Patterson & Michael Graham
Joan & Donald Green
Adrienne Green
Jeffrey Greendorfer
Monica Banchero-Hasson & Bruce Hasson
Jeanine Hawk
Paul & Judith K. Heim
Pam & Nelson Heller
Nancy & Allan Herzog
Marilyn Higuera
Cathryn Sampson Hilliard
The Hochschild Family
Deborah & Craig Hoffman
Susan Horenstein
Sharyn & Jay Howard
Carolyn & Rick Hutchinson
Frederick Isaac
Roean Iscoff
Reuven & Zehava Itelman
Joan & Neil Jacobs
Lois & Jerome Jacobs
Adrienne Jonas
Jason Jungreis
Scott** & Vicki Kahn
Laurie Kahn
Alison Datz & Joel Kamisher
Susan Kaplan
Susan Karp
Thor & Lecia Kaslofsky
Reesha Katcher
Sally Kaufmann Cowan
Ms. Jerilyn Keyak and daughter, Molly S. McDonell
Susan Kitchell
Laura & Robert Klapper
John & Jane Knox
Susan Kolb
Zandy Krischer
Robert & Joyce Kurtz
Joyce Lampert
George Landau
Betty A. La Vine
Teri Lehmann
Arlene & Paul Leiber
Karen Leigh
Pamela Lyss-Lerman & Jason Lerman
Patricia & Richard Levenberg
Jeffrey Levine
Nancy & Rich Levine
Kyle Levine
Gershon & Jean Levinson
Thomas & Diane Levison
Mr. & Mrs. Svetlana Leykin
Bradford Liebman
Howard & Janet Lockshin
Barbara Loften
Sheri Lucas
Lawrence & Elinore Lurie
Lawrence & Marcia Lusk
Terry Mack Magnin
Marlene Mann
Rodney Manson
Tristi & Damon Marshall
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey R. Mass
Leigh & William Matthes
Laurie Miller
Jacqueline Shelton & Craig Miller
Eleanor z”l & Howard z”l Miller
Julie McKenzie & Ken Miller
Cindy & Craig Morris
Mark & Nicole Mosheim
Rachel Moussa
Ellen & N. James Myerberg
Dena & John Selix
Anita & John Naylor
Marilyn & Harry Nebenzahl
Sarah & Max Neiman
The Neuschatz Family
Elaine Neuwirth
Judith & Gary Pasquinelli
Robley & Adele Passalacqua
Daniel Perman & Sheva Tessler
Monica Pevzner
Pietsch Family
Edith L. Piness
Donald Pino
Steven Polevoi & Kate Kardos-Polevoi
Susan Wolin & Ralph Protsik
Alan & Nancy Raznick
Cindy Gilman Redburn & Chris Redburn
Moshe & Julia Reder
Lorie & Baxter Rice
Paula & Ric Robins and Family
Diana & James Rogers
Julianne Rich Roos
Mark Rosen & Belle Ling
John E. Rosenbaum
Sandra Rosenberg
Andrew & Jennifer Rosenthal
Rotenstreich Family
Andrea Rouah
Merle Ryan
Samuel & Alexandra Salkin
Sharon Litsky & John Sampson**
Daria Saraf
Benjamin Schalit
Dana Scheer
Harry Scheer
Pamela & Michael Schneider
Ed Schuller
Lisa Schuller
Mauri Schwartz
Stephanie Ernst Scott
Frada Shapiro
Bonni & Jon Shenk
Gloria Shiff
Roni Silverberg
Ann Singer
David Bancroft Sloan
Audrey Sockolov
Joan Solomon
Larissa Siegel Solomon & Rowan Solomon
Melanie Sperling
Bruce A. Spiegelman
Michael Spinrad
Julie B. Stahl
Elizabeth Ozer & Cliff Staton
Peter Stein
Jill & Seth Steinberg
Janet Surkin & Robert Stillman
Janet & Rod Stoller
Charles & Sherri Sugarman
Rebecca & Phil Susser
Mr. & Ms. Yefim Sverbilov
Anita & Stuart Tanenberg
Joann Terdiman
Susan Terris
Michael & Maureen Terris
Pearl Vapnek
Nick & Eugenia Vestel
Alan Warshaw
Herbert Weiner
Weinstein-Lorenzen Family
Andy Weissman & Debbie Carini
Wellner Dickey Family
William Wexelblatt
Kate & Joseph Wineroth
Connie Wolf
Wolf Family
Karen Wolff
Steve Zafft & Javier Suazo
Judith Kneeter & Rabbi Edward Zerin z”l
Total Raised
$108,201,456
To participate or for more information, please contact Julie Weinberg, Senior Director of Philanthropy:

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