Jane and Rich Bartke (husband and wife, and both former mayors of El Cerrito) are personally responsible for saving the Sundar Shadi Holiday Display — and our community is sincerely grateful!
Rich was an attorney working with the Shadi family when Sundar passed in 2002. He mentioned to Jane that he was concerned about Sundar’s large collection of holiday display pieces that he had hand-crafted beginning in 1949.
Hearing that, Jane said, “Well, we just have to save them!” And that’s just what she did!
Jane was a member of Soroptimist International of El Cerrito and she enlisted her Soroptimist friends to help save the collection. They reportedly had three days to remove the estimated 500 display pieces and find a place to store them — camels, donkeys, a dog, the Wise Men, the angel, shepherds and about 60 sheep, the star, and the whole Town of Bethlehem!
Over the years, the Soroptimists worked to repaint some of the figures and to put new clothing on some of the shepherds and the Wise Men; she invited other friends to help too.
Jane and Rich also convened a committee to manage the collection and plan for the annual display each December. The Shadi Committee used to meet for monthly pot luck dinner meetings — a little meeting and lots of socializing. Rich was the notetaker and kept minutes of each meeting.
Jane also organized an annual fundraising effort. She maintained a large mailing list, and each year she and her friends sent a letter requesting donations to the Shadi Holiday Display. Her successful fundraising allowed volunteers to make repairs and maintain the display for posterity. Jane’s fundraising efforts are continued to this day, funding the purchase of paint and plaster for display repairs and electrical equipment for lighting — as well as paying the electrical bill.
Each year on the day designated to set up the Shadi Holiday Display, Jane managed the careful removal of each display piece from storage and gave directions to volunteers; on the take down day, she monitored the return of each piece. Rich always joined the volunteers at the display site, carrying shepherds and sheep across the hillside to be set in their special place for the holiday display.
Jane and Rich Bartke volunteered their time for 20 years taking care of the Shadi Holiday Display. In 2024, the current committee commissioned a bench to be placed at the display site with a commemorative plaque in honor of Jane and Rich Bartke. The bench is positioned to allow visitors to sit and admire the entire Shadi Holiday Display each December; in other months, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the sunset over the San Francisco Bay.
Sundar Shadi made the original gift to the community by creating his display; Jane and Rich “re-gifted” it by saving the collection and organizing friends and volunteers to care for it and bring it back to the community each year. Thanks to the Bartke’s, the Shadi Holiday Display continues to delight visitors 76 years after Mr. Shadi first placed a star next to his home during the Christmas season.