On Monday evening, Daniel Klein, the CEO of Jewish Silicon Valley, announced that Cookie Addison, a pillar of the local Jewish community, had died.
The “artistic and creative” woman’s philanthropy left an “indelible mark” on the community, he wrote.
“Cookie helped foster a sense of belonging and support for families and individuals alike,” he added. “Her contributions will continue to inspire future generations.”
Cookie moved to town from Los Angeles in 1972 with her late husband Arnie Addison, who had a successful career in the automotive industry.
He died peacefully at home, in 2013, at the age of 83.
In Klein’s email, he reflected on how the couple gave a founding donation to establish the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center.
Cookie served as president of the JCC’s board of directors and was Women’s Division president for the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley from 1993-94.
Cookie volunteered with many different groups, including Planned Parenthood, the Los Gatos Art Association and the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute.
Diana Schnabel-Arevalo, Jewish Silicon Valley’s chief operations officer, said Cookie was very involved in their Cultural Arts Department.
She’s friends with Cookie’s daughter Robin Sabes, and got to know the matriarch in the lead-up to a 2013 fundraiser the JCC held in Arnie’s honor.
“I was able to speak with cookie frequently,” she recalled. “It was amazing to hear about her legacy and how their goal was to create a place where jewish boys and girls could come and meet—and thrive.”
In fact, it was the Addisons’ $1 million donation that got the JCC off the ground in the first place (and their name on the building).
In his autobiography, It Was A Great Ride, Arnie recalled that pivotal moment in the development of the Silicon Valley Jewish community.
“Canoas Garden served as the home of the JCC for several years,” he wrote. “Then we ehard of a six-acre elementary school site that the Town of Los Gatos was selling for $6 million. The timing was perfect, because the City of San Jose had offered us $2.2 million for the Canoas Gardens property, which they wanted for a parking lot. I had just sold my business, and Cookie and I decided after much discussion, and with pleasure, to pledge $1 million. To made up the difference, we launched a community fundraising campaign, which raised enough to also build a swimming pool and tennis courts.”
Cookie’s death has left a gaping hole in the local Jewish community, Schnabel-Arevalo said.
“People are just talking about how grateful they are for the vision that she and her husband had,” she said. “Essentially, she was able to encourage the next generation to continue the work that she started.”
Diane Fisher, the former director of the Community Relations Council at Jewish Silicon Valley, said continuing Jewish traditions was a huge thing for Cookie.
Then, in 2018, Cookie was honored alongside two other JCC past board presidents—Sylvia Metz and Doris Davis.
Cookie’s house—which was near hers growing up—was always open to the youth of the neighborhood, she recalled.
“They had a lot of kids, and their kids all had friends,” she said. “People felt welcome to drop in.”
Fisher says her mom was friends with Cookie, and she was especially close with Cookie’s daughter, who went on an Israel trip at the same time she did.
Fisher recently moved to Denver to be near her own daughter.
Last week, Cookie’s granddaughter Rachel Darling was up visiting, and Fisher got to host a Sukkot party.
Fisher’s daughter brought her two boys. And Darling brought her daughter.
There in Colorado, in a tent serving as a ceremonial hut, the fourth generation witnessed the age-old harvest celebration that commemorates how God took care of the Israelites after Moses led them out of Egypt.
“We’re still celebrating Jewish life—something that was really important to Cookie,” Fisher said, in a telephone interview late Monday. “Just today, I was asking my daughter if she knew how Cookie was doing.”
Sadly, Darling, now back in California, texted her friend to let her know that her grandmother had died.
But Fisher takes heart in the fact that Darling herself is carrying Cookie’s legacy forward.
“She has kind of followed in her grandmother’s footsteps,” Fisher said.
Not only did Darling found the UC Davis chapter of Challah for Hunger and serve as Hillel Koret Fellow, she is now the executive director of the Hillel organization at the college.
“I know she’ll miss her,” Fisher said, adding her own daughter is focused on making sure she’s there to support Darling during this difficult time.
A funeral will be held on Monday, Oct. 28th at 11:30am at Congregation Beth David.
The burial will take place at 1:30pm at Los Gatos Memorial Park, with a post-burial gathering, including a light meal, scheduled for 2:45pm in the Addison-Penzak JCC Auditorium.
