Peninsula Jewish Resources | hillel.stanford.edu

Peninsula Jewish Resources

Jewish Community Organizations - San Francisco Bay Area

	Jewish Community Federation Description: San Francisco Hillel’s largest benefactor, the Federation ensures the survival and continued growth of San Francisco’s numerous Jewish organizations.
	Jewish Community Center of San Francisco Description: The San Francisco JCC provides educational, social, cultural and fitness programs to the Jewish community and San Francisco at large - sign up for activities and more…
	Jewish Community Relations Council Description: The JCRC is the public-relations arm of the Bay Area Jewish community, representing more than 80 synagogues and other organizations locally.
	Israel Center Description: The Israel Center works to connect artistic, social, and cultural Israeli programs to the Bay Area Jewish community.
	Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life Description: The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) deepens the Jewish community’s commitment to the stewardship of creation and mobilizes the resources of Jewish life and learning to protect the Earth and all its inhabitants.
	Jewish Family and Children’s Services Description: JFCS provides social and family counseling services to children, adults, seniors, and students.
	Jewish Vocational Service Description: Need a job? JVS helps to provide job training for San Francisco’s Jewish community, and the Bay Area as a whole.
	Hebrew Free Loan Association Description: The HFLA provides interest-free loans to the local Jewish community to pay for school, emergency financial assistance, business loans, and more.
	Shalom Bayit Description: For Jewish Women who have experienced, or are experiencing, abuse in an intimate relationship and want to heal in a Jewish context, a spiritual support group.
	BayJews.org Description: BayJews.org is Your Portal to Bay Area Jewish Life. It includes comprehensive events calendar, classified ads and profiles. BayJews.org is a free resource where you can find out about upcoming community events, post a free profile, search for available housing, and read the weekly D’var Torah. You can subscribe and get customized weekly e-mails and/or you can view your customized material online through MyBayJews.
	Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies Description: Pardes is a coed, non-denominational institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem that offers a unique combination of intellectual openness, rigorous textual analysis, and opportunities for spiritual growth.
	PlanitJewish.com Description: PlanitJewish is the Bay Area’s community calendar. You can personalize the site send you email reminders for your upcoming events, and more.
	Sinai Memorial Chapel Description: Sinai Memorial Chapel helps Jewish families faced with the loss of a loved one. Although no one is ever adequately prepared to confront death, familiarity with Jewish traditional practices is a comfort during moments of bereavement. The Funeral Directors at Sinai Memorial Chapel are here to help guide families in the traditional and reverent approach, which our Jewish faith dictates at a time of loss.

Hillel and Hillel-Related

Hillel International

Description: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life… The umbrella organization for virtually all Jewish campus activity in North America.

Birthright Israel

Description: Want to go to Israel for 10 days, for free? If you’re 18-26 , and you’ve never been to Israel on a group trip, you’re eligible. As they like to say, “The gift is priceless.”

Advocacy & Policy

	Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Description: Fighting anti-Semitism and hate by documenting incidents and providing education for more than 90 years.
	American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Description: The American lobby for Israel in Congress.
	Americans for Peace Now Description: America’s branch of Shalom Achshav (Peace Now). Supports an end to settlement activities in the West Bank and Gaza, and a resumption of negotiations with all of Israel’s neighbors.
	American Zionist Movement Description: The American arm of the World Zionist Organization. Supports the Zionist ideals of promoting aliyah (immigration to Israel), the unity of the Jewish people, and the protection of Jewish rights worldwide.
	Honest Reporting Description: “HonestReporting was established to scrutinize the media for anti-Israel bias, then mobilize subscribers to respond directly to relevant news agencies.”
	Israel on Campus Coalition Description: ” A network of national organizations working to promote Israel education and advocacy on university campuses across the United States. Coalition members are committed to educating students about Israel’s history, culture, accomplishments and challenges, bringing Israel resources to campus, facilitating study and travel experiences in Israel, and launching national campus initiatives in support of Israel.”
	Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA) Description: With the establishment of Israel in 1948, almost 900,000 Jews from across the Middle East and North Africa were expelled. JIMENA serves as an advocate for them, and for their descendants.
	Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) Description: “The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) explores the Middle East through the region’s media. MEMRI bridges the language gap which exists between the West and the Middle East, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East.”
	Tikkun Description: “Tikkun provides a space for both affiliated and non-affiliated Jews who seek to renew their Judaism, and a space for Jews and non-Jews alike to shape a politics out of spiritual values. Because of our commitment to spiritual values, Tikkun’s editors are not afraid to confront controversy. So, while we firmly support the State of Israel, we also support Palestinian rights…”
	Zionist Organization of America Description: “The Zionist Organization of America is the oldest, and one of the largest, pro-Israel organizations in the United States. The ZOA today works to strengthen American-Israeli relations, through educational activities, public affairs programs, support for pro-Israel legislation on Capitol Hill, and by combating anti-Israel bias in the media, textbooks, travel guides, and on campuses.”
	Hadassah Description: Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer women’s organization, whose members are motivated and inspired to strengthen their partnership with Israel, ensure Jewish continuity, and realize their potential as a dynamic force in American society.

Jewish Community Organizations - National and International

	Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity Description: AEPI is the largest Jewish fraternity in the US, with more than 75,000 past and present brothers. Famous alumni include both Simon & Garfunkel, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Gene Wilder, and more.
	American Jewish Committee Description: The American Jewish Committee works to safeguard the welfare and security of Jews throughout America, Israel, and the rest of the world, and to strengthen ties between American and Israeli Jews.
	B’nai B’rith Description: One of the largest Jewish Community organizations in the world, B’nai B’rith funds a variety of youth and community programs, advocates for pro-Israel causes, and much more.
	Jewish Agency for Israel Description: The arm of the Israeli government responsible for promoting Aliyah, the Jewish Agency provides Jewish and Zionist education worldwide, and attempts to create greater partnerships between Jews in Israel and the rest of the world.
	United Jewish Communities Description: The UJC is the is the umbrella organization for Jewish Federations throughout North America.
	Masa Israel Description: Your gateway to extended Israel programs
	Israel Program Center Description: Short term programs to Israel

Judaism - Religion and Reference


	Jewish.com Description: An all-in-one portal for all things Jewish. Advocacy tips, recipes, Judaica, and everything in between. Have a question about something Jewish? Try the ‘Ask A Rabbi’ feature…
	Jewish Study Network Description: “The Jewish Study Network is an association of young Jewish scholars who have come together to share their knowledge of Jewish tradition with the general Jewish public of the Bay Area.”
	Jewish Virtual Library Description: A compendium of Jewish knowledge; History, Women, the Holocaust, Maps, Politics, Israel & the US, and much more.

Israel Public Relations (Hasbara)

	Blue Star PR Description: “BlueStar PR produces visual media that strengthens existing efforts to gain popular support and interest for Israel and Judaism. We partner with individuals and organizations to create positive and educational posters, advertisements, and learning materials available for widespread distribution. Our goal is to shape public opinion through knowledge and understanding.”
	Caravan for Democracy Description: “Caravan for Democracy drives constructive dialogue on college campuses throughout the United States by bringing different speakers from Israel to discuss the challenges Israel faces as the only democracy in the Middle East.”
	Israel 21C Description: “ISRAEL21c is a not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of California that works with existing institutions and the media to inform Americans about 21st century Israel, its people, its institutions and its contributions to global society. ISRAEL21c creates, aggregates and broadly disseminates high-quality information to the American public about the Israel that exists beyond the pervasive imagery of conflict that characterizes so much of western media reporting.”
	Standwithus.com Description: “Our goal is to insure that Israel’s side of the story is accurately told, through powerful, fact based materials, alerts, speakers, and conferences. This will be our way of communicating our profound solidarity with, (and appreciation for) the people of Israel, their quest for peace, and the beauty of their democratic values.”

Jewish Arts, Entertainment, Culture & Dining

	Bay Area Jewish Life Resource- Kosher Restaurants Description: Hungry? That chicken and cheese chalupa nosh a non-starter? Check out this list of Kosher-certified and supervised restaurants. Note- direct link does not work- navigate via main Resource site.
	Northern California Board of Rabbis- SF Synagogue Directory Description: Looking for a synagogue? The Board of Rabbis has put together this list of congregations throughout the city. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, LGBT-friendly - it’s all here.
	San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Description: For more than 20 years each July & August, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has been pioneering new films by Jewish filmmakers both prominent and obscure. The Festival is always looking for volunteers, which could mean free movies for you.
	The Judah L. Magnes Museum Description: “Founded in 1962, The Judah L. Magnes Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits art and artifacts reflecting the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience throughout history. We promote understanding by fostering dialogue and exploring links between Jewish and other cultures.”

Jewish Charities, Relief, & Volunteer Organizations

	Jewish National Fund (JNF) Description: The organization famous for planting trees in Israel, having planted more than 240 million trees since 1901. In addition, the JNF also works to provide education and security, promote research and development, and much more.
	Magen David Adom Description: “Israel’s only official emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service since 1956.” MADA, as it’s commonly known, offers a unique volunteer program recruiting students to serve on ambulance crews- for more information click here.
	New Israel Fund Description: “The New Israel Fund (NIF) works to strengthen Israel’s democracy and to promote freedom, justice and equality for all Israel’s citizens. For nearly twenty-five years, NIF has been a leader in building a just and strong Israel, believing that Israel’s strength depends as much on its commitment to democratic principles as on its ability to defend itself against physical and militarythreats.”
	ZAKA Description: “ZAKA, which was founded in 1995, is an acronym for Zihui Korbanot Ason, Hebrew for Identification of Disaster Victims. Its volunteers, who are easily identifiable by their bright yellow vests, are often the first rescue workers to appear at the scene of a terrorist bombing or shooting — and the last to leave.”

Jewish / Israeli Media

	Ha’aretz Description: One of Israel’s largest daily newspapers, publishing both in Hebrew and English. Ha’aretz is often compared to the New York Times.
	IsraelInsider Description: Billing itself as ‘Israel’s Daily Online News Magazine,’ IsraelInsider is the news counterpart to Israel 21c. The site provides detailed information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a map of every security incident in Israel, updated daily.
	J Magazine Description: Formerly the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, the J is the official media voice of the Bay Area Jewish community. One of the oldest Jewish publications in America at more than 100 years.
	The Jerusalem Post Description: Israel’s oldest English-language daily newspaper, the Post began operating in 1932 as the Palestine Post, and continues to this day.
	Maariv does operate a small English-language site.

NOTE: Site descriptions in “quotations” are taken directly from the respective sites. Be advised – these organizations do not necessarily represent the views of Hillel at Stanford. Hillel at Stanford does not control or represent the accuracy, truthfulness, legality, or safety of content posted on any external site.

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