Israel BRIDGES TO ISRAEL PRESENTS: Thursday, May 13 WOMEN IN ISRAEL: This program will feature three perspectives on the role of women in Israel today, moderated by Rabbi Chai Levy 7:30 PM, Davidson, San Rafael Being an Immigrant Woman in Israel Immigration is a complex process that involves adjusting to the new culture and, as a result, often leads to redefinition of some social identities the immigrant brings with her. In this presentation, I would like to share some of my personal experiences of challenges and opportunities I faced as a woman after immigrating from the Former Soviet Union to Israel in 1991.   Alexandra (Sasha) Belinsky was born in St. Petersburg and immigrated to Israel in 1991. Since 2003, Sasha was involved with sociological research at the Center for Multiculturalism in the University of Haifa, has facilitated Jewish education in both Israel and the former Soviet Union, and currently serves as JAFI emissary to FSU émigrés community in the SF Bay Area.   Women and Trauma in Israel Ilene Serlin will talk about working with the Casualty Division of the IDF, the young women officers, their lives and their families. She has taught Psychology of Women for 15 years at Saybrook University and Lesley University in Boston and Israel.   Dr. Ilene Serlin is a psychologist and dance therapist in SF and Marin County who teaches in Israel and has worked with trauma centers in Israel and the US. She is Past-President of the San Francisco Psychological Association and editor of Whole Person Healthcare.   Women at the Wall (WOW) After medical student Nofrat Frenkel was arrested at the Kotel for the “crime” of wearing a tallit, Abby Caplin organized a service in Union Square and will discuss the significance of this event for women in Israel.   Dr. Abby Caplin is a San Francisco physician practicing mind-body medicine and has served as a lay leader in the Jewish community with her husband, Dr. Ami Goodman. We had the pleasure of a talk about Israel by Rabbi Doug Kahn, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council, on May 31, 2009. His comments can be seen here. The State of Israel is the geographic and spiritual center of the Jewish people. We are passionately committed to Israel and urge our members to support Israel in all possible ways. We encourage people to learn about, visit and, when possible, to study there, as well as make financial contributions. We encourage dialogue and active engagement in all issues connected to Israel. The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel is helping to raise emergency funds for Ashkelon and Sderot residents affected by rocket attacks from Gaza. Ashkelon's Masorti congregation is raising funds to help install shatterproof glass for their preschool that serves 200 children. In Sderot, the Masorti Movement helps sponsor respite excursions as well as programs in Sderot itself. We would like to support these efforts by sending one large donation from Kol Shofar. If every household contributes $18, we can send $10,000 to our brothers and sisters in Israel through an organization that supports Conservative Judaism in Israel. If you have suggestions about material for this section of the website, or want to participate in creating and maintaining the Israel pages, please contact Mike Harris through the Kol Shofar directory or email him:  israel@kolshofar.org. For now, we have posted congregant Bruce Raful’s diary entries from Kol Shofar’s trip Eastern Europe and Israel in 2007, and Rabbi Chai Levy's journal from the Kol Shofar trip in 2006. Enjoy!