Happening
Send Your Writing
Women of Mediterranean Countries Short Story Competition on the topic “women’s image” is cosponsored by the Women’s Forum of Marseilles and by Noga, the Israeli feminist magazine. Hebrew or Arabic stories should be sent, in four copies, with writer’s name, address and phone/fax on a separate sheet, by October 15: Short Story Competition, Noga, P.O.B. 21376, 61213 Tel Aviv, Israel.
Jewish women’s magic realism, fantasy, surrealism, science fiction and speculative and gender-challenging works (poetry, personal essays, critical interpretations, photography) will appear in a special issue of FEMSPEC, an interdisciplinary, international feminist journal. Send by March 1, 2000, to Ruth Knafo Setton, 4759 Huckleberry Rd, Orefield, PA 18069; (610)366-9848; (610)391-0509; RKSetton@aol.com
Repair
Three Sacramento synagogues firebombed in June need help to rebuild. Send checks payable to the “Unity Fund,” c/o The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, 2351 Wyda Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 or to a specific synagogue: Congregation B’nai Israel, 3600 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95818; Knesset Israel Torah Center, 1024 Morse Ave., Sacramento, CA 95864; or Congregation Beth Shalom, 4746 El Camino, Carmichael, CA 95608. Readers who are authors or publishers: help by sending a copy of your books with Jewish content to B’nai Israel, the oldest synagogue west of the Mississippi, whose entire library was destroyed: c/o Poshi Mikalson, Librarian, Soskin Library, address above; poshron@aol.com.
National Jewish Coalition for Literacy aims to recruit 100,000 Jewish volunteers as part of President Clinton’s challenge to mobilize one million volunteers to tutor the more than 40% of U.S. fourth graders who cannot read at grade level. The organization works with local Jewish agencies and has a Jewish literacy component for volunteers as well. National Jewish Coalition for Literacy, 443 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-7322, (212)545-9215; njcl@jon.cjfny.org
The Journal of Religion & Abuse: Advocacy, Pastoral Care, and Prevention, edited by Rev. Marie Fortune, covers physical and sexual abuse issues—including rape, sexual abuse of children, incest, sexual harassment, battering, child abuse and sexual abuse by clergy and religious leaders. Writers guidelines from Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, 936 N 34th St., #200, Seattle, WA 98103, (206)634-1903; fax; (206)634-0115; mfortune@cpsdv.org. Request a free sample copy on professional letterhead: Journal of Religion & Abuse, The Haworth Press, Box Comp, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580; getinfo@haworthpressinc.com
“The war on drugs is a failure and has led to laws that are unjust, racist in their implementation, a threat to liberty and a danger to public health.” These are some of the views of: Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy, 237 Thompson St.; NY, NY 10012; (212)253-2437; fax (212)253-2479; religiousleaders@juno.com; www.religiousleaders.home.mindspring.com
Gatherings
Finding a Home: Jewish Women’s Studies in the Academy, a conference October 17-18, 1999, at the Jewish Theological Seminary, co-sponsored with the International Research Institute on Jewish Women at Brandeis University, will evaluate the first generation of Jewish Women’s Studies. JTS, 3080 Broadway New York, NY 10027; (212)678- 8937; home@jtsa.edu.
Coexistence Education: with an emphasis on Jews and Arabs in Israel, a conference will define and develop an academic field, engaging scholars and practitioners from Israel and around the world. Sponsored by the faculty of Education at Haifa University and The Abraham Fund at the university, November 7-8. Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, Faculty of Education, Haifa University. Haifa, Israel: (972)4-824-9827; rachelhl@construct.haifa.ac.il
Take your break in Israel. A far reaching philanthropic effort will provide transportation and ten days of programming, free, to every young Jewish person, 15-26, who has not previously visited Israel on a peer group program. Find out about trips for college students in January 2000. Birthright Israel, (888)99-ISRAEL; www.israelexperience.org
Jewish Lesbian Daughters of Holocaust Survivors (JLDHS), an international support and networking organization, meets annually, this year November 12-14, north of San Francisco, CA. For info on the gathering or the organization, contact JLDHS, P.O.B. 75. Hadley, MA 01075; (888)340-1122; hina@uspartners.com
Forget those paper plates! Hold the event outdoors. Serve locally produced food. Compost food waste. Suggestions to incorporate Jewish principles of concern for the earth at your event can be found in a handbook, “Caring for the Cycle of Life,” $4.50 from the Coalition for the Environment in Jewish Life, 443 Park Ave. South, 11th fl. New York, NY 10016- 7322; (212)684-6950, x 210; fax (212)686-1353; coejl@aol.com; www.jtsa.edu/org/coejl
“This is the day, it’s whispering new beginnings.” The lyrics of singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman about finding peace, love, strength and healing now grace a colorful series of greeting cards from Hallmark/Tree of Life; (800)396-TREE; www.hallmark.com
Body & Soul
“Daddy, am I fat?” A nine-year-old daughter’s question prompted the formation of a national organization of fathers and daughters providing tools to strengthen their relationships and to transform the pervasive societal messages that value our daughters more for how they look than for who they are. Dads and Daughters, RO.B. 3458, Duluth, MN 55803; toll free (888)824-3237; www.dadsanddaughters.org
Free anonymous depression screenings are available on National Depression Screening Day, October 7, 1999. Clinical depression, a treatable illness, occurs twice as frequently among women as among men. Find a nearby site where you can complete a brief written screening test, receive information and talk one on one with a health professional, for free: The National Mental Illness Screening Project, One Washington St. #304, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481; (800) 573-4433; (781)239-0071; fax (781)431-7447; www.nmisp.org
New warnings about the effects of DES (diethylstilbestrol), the synthetic hormone given to millions of pregnant women from 1938-1971 and promoted as a “wonder drug” to prevent miscarriage. Find out signs of exposure, questions you should ask your mother and your doctor. DES Action 1615 Broadway #510, Oakland, CA 94612; (800)DES-9288; fax (510)465-4815; www.desaction.org
Home-Use Tests for HIV Can Be Inaccurate wains a consumer alert available free from Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, B.C. 20580; (202)FTC-HELP (382-4357); www.ftc.gov
Memoirs
Welcoming Our Daughters: If you’ve put together your own ceremony, please send a copy of your program and/or a note with details for possible inclusion or citation in a book on Simchat Bat ceremonies and traditional Jewish rituals of welcome for girls. Send with phone number and e-mail address to author Debra Nussbaum Cohen, 223 Prospect PL, Brooklyn, NY 11238; DNussbaumC@aol.com
Diaries, letters or memories of Jewish women who were living in the United States during World War II and who were involved in organized relief efforts or participated in rallies at Madison Square Gardens are sought for an eventual book. By December 1, contact Joan E. Denman, Silver Wings Women’s Research Project, 2007 E. Indian Head Dr.. Tallahassee, FL 32301-5837; phone/fax (850)942-4308; silver2@tdo.infi.net
Weddings: Did you make your own huppah? Design your own ketuba? Write your own vows? Send your story, 50-500 words, or ask to be interviewed for a resource book on Jewish weddings. Guidelines with SASE. Deadline October 15. Esty Schachter, Dexter Park, 185 Freeman St #442, Brookline, MA 02146; (607)273-6745; Esty123@aol.com
Did you write your autobiography in a contest for Polish Jewish youth in 1930? Over 600 autobiographies were submitted and plans are being made to publish some. If you have information about the participants, by November 30, please contact: Dr Lisa Epstein, Yivo Institute for Jewish Research, 15 W. 16th St, New York, NY 10011; (212)246-6080; fax (212)292-1892; yivo7@metgate.metro.org
Pages of Testimony is a worldwide effort to record information on all Jewish victims of the Holocaust. For Pages of Testimony forms to fill out, call American Society for Yad Vashem, 500 Fifth Ave #1600, New York, NY 10110-1699; (800)310-7495.
In the Belly of the Lamb: women remember their fundamentalist pasts. For a collection of the perspectives of women who have emerged from backgrounds of strict religious orthodoxy, send personal essays, 2,000-8,000 words, by October 1, to editors Susan Lonac & Terri Griffith, P.O.B. 2068, Bellingham, WA 98227- 2068; terrigriffith@msn.com
