Month: May 2014

Those of us who live in San Francisco and by an extension in the Bay Area as well as other big cities, have the privilege to live among different people from different countries with various practices and different religious backgrounds and beliefs. Through living, studying, working together, speaking the same language, and intermarrying, we supposedly grow closer to each other; but do we really know our neighbors?

One of the dividing factors between people throughout history has been religion. The month of June is not only the first month of summer, but it is also the time when three major monotheist religions have their own distinct holidays–Shavuot in Judaism, Pentecostal Sunday for Christians, andRamadan for the Muslims. I decided to write about the one factor that is a common thread for all three of these holidays.

It is food and in particular—it is cheesecake.

Shavuot is a major Jewish festival, which is celebrated this year on June 4^thand 5^th (since the Jewish calendar follows the lunar cycle, the date changes every year). Originally, it was considered a harvest festival when Jews would come to Jerusalem to visit the Temple and bring the product of their first harvest as an expression of gratitude. But it also commemorates the giving of the Law—the Torah on Mount Zion. This happened fifty days after the second day of Passover or exodus from slavery in Egypt.

All of these events are very important, but why according to the tradition on Shavuot do Jews have to eat a cheesecake? Actually—not only a cheesecake, but any dairy products. The obvious answer could be that a celebration needs to have some kind of dessert. But actually, there are other explanations, which have to do with the rules of Kashrut, or the separation of dairy and meat products in the same meal.

We’re pleased to announce our MeetUP Event for JUNE:

---

Face retirement and the future head on. 

People brave enough to look into the crystal ball of the future are much more likely to take control of their retirement planning. It’s a vivid reminder that everything you do today impacts your future tomorrow. Meet professionals that can help you, so you’re not left wondering what’s next.

JUNEMEETUP

LET US HELP YOU!

Meet up with Manny and his friends for a night of sharing common interests and ideas. You will have the opportunity to meet people with common real estate interests who own or want to buy commercial or apartment buildings, share, or address any ideas and concerns. 

This month’s Meet up event will take place on:

June 12th at 6:30pm at 233 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco, CA 94080 

---

OUR FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER:

Stephen L. Dobrow, ERPA, APA, CPC 

President, Primark Benefits

A San Francisco native, Stephen entered the Retirement field in 1976, gained executive experience in Silicon Valley, and returned to Primark Benefits in 1990 to lead its management team. His expertise is in converting tax dollars into employee benefits, which are otherwise unaffordable.

Stephen holds a degree in Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He also holds a degree in accounting. He formerly served as a chapter officer for the National Institute of Pension Administrators in which he has achieved the designation of Accredited Pension Administrator. Stephen holds the designations of Qualified 401(k) Administrator, Qualified Pension Administrator, and Certified Pension Consultant, as issued by the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries. He is past President of ASPPA.

PETER C. KARP, REGISTERED FINANCIAL ADVISOR
President, Karp Capital Management 

Peter Karp is the founder of Karp Capital Management Corp, a registered investment advisory firm. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and provides a full range of financial services focusing on asset management strategies, plan participant education/ advisement and business consulting. He is a member of the Financial Planning association, Western Pension & Benefits Association and is a founding partner of NAPA.(National Association of Plan Advisors). Karp ranked 25th on the list of top Bay Area Independent wealth advisor with over 7,000 nominations received every year. Learn more and sign up for the Karp Capital Focus quarterly newsletter with asset management insights at karpcapital.com.

Interested? Let’s meet up!

Please spread the word and remember to RSVP to Ausra@Pacbay.net

Looking forward to seeing you on May 8th!

---

MEET UP DETAILS:

Date: Thursday: June 12th, 2014
Address: 233 Arroyo Drive,
                      South San Francisco, CA 94080
                     (Please Meet in the Betty Weber Room)
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm

RSVP on Meetup.com OR email Ausra@Pacbay.net

U.S. Military history began in 1775 when the Continental Congress created the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. During the U.S. Civil War from 1861 until 1865, about 750,000 soldiers on both sides were killed. Since its inception, the U.S. has been involved in about 40 military conflicts including the War on Terrorism, which started in 2001, and has no end in sight. As a result, the death toll has reached 1,321,612 (according to Wikipedia). The idea to put flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers came from women (as many other honorable ideas) before the end of the Civil War and in 1868, General John A. Logan officially proclaimed May 30^th as Decoration Day—a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

It is believed that the day was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. Actually, the holiday called Memorial Day was claimed to have started two years earlier, and there are approximately 25 places—primarily in the South—which claimed the origin of Memorial Day. It was only in 1971 that Congress declared Memorial Day to be a national Holidays, which is when it was placed on the last Monday of May. This year, it is celebrated on May 26^th.

I wrote this short history just to illustrate how often people, whom we have never met, whose names we do not remember or never knew, helped to create the conditions for the life most of us are benefiting from.

The old revered Rabbi was dying. All of his disciples gathered around his bed standing in line in the order of importance. Suddenly, the guy at the end of the line requested to ask the teacher about the meaning of life, before his last breath. This request was passed from one disciple to the other until the question reached the Rabbi. He opened his eyes and with great effort and said, “Life is like a river”. The Rabbi’s reply was passed back, until it reached the guy who asked the question. “But what does it mean that life is like a river?” He questioned again. When this question reached the Rabbi, with his last effort he responded, “Well, then it is not like a river.”

I was privileged to live with three mothers. My mother, who gave me birth and with whom I lived until I got married at the age of 20. We called her Mama Liza. My wife’s mother (I do not like the term mother-in-law) with whom I lived together after Elfa and I married, who immigrated with us to Israel and to San Francisco, until she passed years later. We called her Mama Masha. Lastly, my wife Elfa— the mother of our two daughters, Alona and Tamar.

Mama Liza became a schoolteacher when I started the first grade. She taught first graders as well, but not at my school. She commuted for an hour by bus to her work. At the end of the day, she brought the children’s homework home in her big briefcase, and different items that she confiscated from her students. I in turn would “confiscate” from her: pocket knives, whistles, and flashlights to barter with my friends. Later on when my brother Aron was born, she went back to school (while working) and became a biology teacher. I would go with her to the public library and copy articles and DNA graphs from the books for her studies. Then our sister Rosa was born. Mom survived World War II working on a farm that grew watermelons. (She couldn’t look at them afterwards.) Life was never easy, but I had a happy childhood.  It didn’t matter what happened, my Mom would say “Budet harasho”—everything will be good. I learned from her to be a perpetual optimist. For many years when someone asks me how I am doing, my response is “always good”.

Believe it or not, you are actually a nice person—and so am I. I found out about this while on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona for an InfusionSoft ICON conference. A woman sitting on the plane diagonally in front of me was reading The Wall Street Journal. I noticed the headline of article—“We Actually Get Nicer With Age”. Wow! What a revelation!

When we reached our hotel, The Wall Street Journal lay in front of our room’s door  (miracles do happen). According to the article, “from the age of 20 to 65, people report an increase in positive traits, such as conscientiousness, and decreases in negative traits such as neuroticism”. Of course, “nicer” is a relative term. It is like beauty “in the eyes (heart) of the beholder”.

But, what happens after the age of 65 (I am 67)? I have met some grouchy older people, but I think that in their core, people are nice. The question is “Do we want to change?” Most of us are comfortable with our status quo, even when others might not like it. When my wife, Elfa, points out my shortcomings to me, I often do not like her criticism, but in my heart I know that she is right. (You know the platinum rule: “The wife is always right”, right?) But can I change? My common response to her is if I do what you suggest, I am going to become Elfa—not Manny. In the business, it is sometimes easier to just change externally by finding new ways to market without changing who we are (since I am already a nice person).