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Co-sponsored this month by the Men's Club and Women of Beth Israel.
Established on August 27, 2021, the Kindness Initiative was born from a simple but powerful idea: what if we treated struggling families with the same white-glove service we reserve for the wealthy? Our Founder and Board President, Selwyn Isakow, drew from his extensive banking background to apply high-end customer service practices to poverty alleviation. Instead of making those already stretched thin navigate multiple organizations, each Member receives a dedicated Case Manager who becomes their single point of contact for everything—housing support, emergency stipends, job coaching, financial literacy, furniture delivery, and access to our Kindness G'MACH distribution center where they can shop through beautifully curated goods at no cost. Through personalized, hands-on support, we co-create customized pathways from crisis to stability to independence, always putting dignity first.
This approach has driven explosive growth. In 2025 alone, we saw almost a 400% increase in families receiving customized case management. We now serve 115 families weekly, in 2025 prevented more than 61 families from being homeless, and welcome more than 9,600 visitors annually to our Kindness G'MACH distribution center. From babies to seniors throughout San Diego County we meet people exactly where they are and walk alongside them as they rebuild their lives with dignity, stability, and hope. Visit us at www.kindnesssd.org.
The Men’s Club monthly Speaker’s Forum & Dinner is held in the Feuerstein Family Activity Center, with dinner from 6:30 to 7:00 pm followed by the presentation and discussion from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
ALL ADULT MEMBERS of the congregation are welcome! The fee is $20 to attend in person and enjoy the deli buffet dinner. Please pay online, or you can pay at the door by cash or check ONLY – NO credit cards, please!
We ask that all those attending in person share the cost and enjoy the meal. If you prefer to “listen only” please join remotely via Zoom. If you registered to “pay at the door” but are unable to attend please let us know as soon as possible. We buy food based on total RSVPs. Please RSVP below no later than Monday, February 16 so we can plan for enough seating and food.
Before taking her lead role at the Kindness initiative, Keren-Dee Hamui served as the Executive Director with The Butterfly Project, a national and global initiative to use children’s art for Holocaust education and community awareness. Her diverse background in leadership, fundraising, and community engagement includes serving in multiple capacities with the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF), most recently as the Western Regional Operations Manager. In that role she led numerous successful fundraising campaigns and donor-focused mission trips.
Keren-Dee and her family have been active members of the San Diego Holocaust Survivor community as stewards of the Lou Dunst Foundation. An entrepreneur at heart, she has successfully launched and operated multiple businesses, including event planning and catering services. She lives in Poway with her husband, two children, and two Goldendoodles, and she brings a vibrant, compassionate and family-oriented perspective to her work. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Hamui is an alumna of the University of Southern California.
PLEASE BRING Art Supplies to Send to Israel Preschools!
For a second year, the Men’s Club is supporting an ongoing project with the Bill & Sid Rubin Preschool to send much-needed art supplies to preschools in Israel. Filled suitcases will be delivered by preschool families traveling to Israel. Gently used suitcase donations are welcome.
Please bring preschool-safe, easy-to-ship art supplies (no liquids or permanent markers) to this Speaker’s Forum, future Men’s Club events, or the preschool office. Suggested items: washable markers, crayons, stickers, safety scissors, colored pencils, glue sticks, colored tape or ribbon, construction paper, modeling clay or Play-Doh, and pipe cleaners.