Happening

TRAVEL THIS SUMMER

Bat Kol, a feminist interdenominational beit midrash in Jerusalem, will open its first summer session of study June 24 to August 10, with up to 30 students of varied Jewish backgrounds- taught in English by faculty including Rachel Adler, Tamara Eskenazi, Susannah Heschel, Ilana Pardes, Rabbi Einat Ramon and Leah Shakdiel. The $40 registration fee and $1600 tuition cover the four-week intensive study course and two weeks of touring, but not housing or air fare. Founded and organized by rosh yeshiva Rabbi Sarra Levine, and director Rochelle Robins. Bat Kol is also seeking financial contributions. Contact: Bat Kol, 125 Lloyd Road, Montclair, NJ 07042; ‘(201)746-4623; fax (201)509-2683; e-mail batkol@sprynet.com; web site http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/batkol

Mother Russia/Daughter Russia. Come to two Jewish women’s retreats in the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. The call is out to Jewish educators, cantors, songleaders, rabbis, group facilitators, artists, fundraisers, storytellers, community activists, women’s health care practitioners, plus photographers and writers to document the programs. The Women’s Exchange for Women’s Leadership Development will take place in Chernigov, Ukraine, June 27-July 6, 1997 ($1200) and a Mothers and Teenage Daughters retreat will be held in Tula, Russia, August 17-23 ($875). Fees for land costs do not include international travel or visa costs. Apply two months prior to events. Project Kesher, 1134 Judson Ave., Evanston, IL 60202; (847)332-1994; fax (847)332-2134; e-mail 74771.142@compuserve.com

Early Literacy in a Multicultural Perspective: a Study Tour to Israel, June 30- July 14, will give educators an opportunity to see how the U.S. and Israel meet similar challenges in absorbing immigrants from a myriad of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Offered by the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University in cooperation with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. $3400 fee includes airfare and land accommodations. Office of Continuing Education, GSE, Rutgers University, 10 Seminary PL, New Brunswick, NJ 08903; (908)932-7496 x 205 or 206.

Coming Down from the Mountain: Bringing the Sacred into Everyday Life is the theme of the 7th annual summer conference held by Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal to be held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins Colorado, June 30-July 6. Cindy Gabriel, 1997 Aleph Kallah Office, 1701 W. Stuart, Fort Collins, CO 80526; (970)221- 0327; fax (970)221-0235; email; KallahAJR@aol.com

Ashkenaz: A Festival of New Yiddish Culture at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto is a multi-disciplinary celebration of Eastern European Yiddish roots. Klezmer bands, jazz artists, poets, singers, storytellers, authors, film makers, and community groups will offer performances and workshops, mostly free of charge, from August 25-September 1, 1997. Ashkenaz, 642 King St. West, #202, Toronto Ontario M5V1M7 Canada; (416)703-6892; fax (416)703- 5489; e-mail: brosen @io.org; web site www.ashkenaz.org

YOUR STORY HERE

Scripts with your typical Hollywood women: victim, psychotic, submissive helpmate or man-crazy bimbo need not be sent. A feminist film-production company, formed by Brenda Feigen and Joanne Parrent, is looking for scripts as well as books, unpublished manuscripts and articles suitable for adaptation to film or television, which focus on strong, positive women characters. Send finished scripts plus a 2-page synopsis, or a query letter regarding adapting a story, book, or other material with SASE to Reel Life Women, 10158 Hollow Glen Circle, Bel Air, CA 90077; (310)275-8619; fax (310)274-0503; e-mail: 104063.3247@CompuServe.com

EXHIBITS AND THEIR CATALOGS

Have a Miriam’s Cup on your seder table. “Drawing from the Source: Miriam, Women’s Creativity and New Ritual” is an invitational exhibition and sale of close to one hundred cups created by Jewish women artists, many who never worked in Judaica before. For further information contact Ma’yan, the Jewish Women’s Project, 15 W. 65th St, New York, NY 10023; (212)580-0099. The exhibition catalog is available for $15. The exhibit opens March 16 through April 30, MTh 9am-6pm, and from lpm-5pm on Sunday afternoons March 16, April 6, April 13 and 27 at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, One W. 4th St., New York, NY [See LILITH, Spring 1992 for Susan Schnur’s pioneering article “Move Over, Elijah, Here Comes the Cult of the Prophetess Miriam!” and the first Miriam’s cup, commissioned by LILITH.]

Funny Girls! “Let There Be Laughter! Jewish Humor in America” is an original exhibition, with artifacts, photos, and radio, television and movie clips, revisiting classics from the days of vaudeville, Broadway, the Borscht Belt, motion pictures and comedy clubs. Check out comediennes Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Barbara Streisand, Goldie Hawn, Elaine May, Sophie Tucker, Gertrude Berg. If you can’t make it there yourself, get the catalog of the exhibit. curated by Jack Kugelmass and Esther Romeyn, available for $14.95. Exhibit thru August 17th at the Spertus Museum 618 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL (312)322-1747.

CONNECTIONS (EVEN BETTER THAN THE INTERNET}

Kulanu (All of Us): A Manual for Synagogues on Gay and Lesbian Inclusion contains inspiring ideas and experiences of rabbis and lay leaders who have struggled to create welcoming programs for homosexual Jews and to educate other congregants and synogogue leaders. Sample sermons and resources include contributions by several women, including Rabbis Lisa Edwards and Margaret Moers Wenig, and Deborah Servi. Prepared by a task force representing the Reform movement, the book is relevant to every denomination in Judaism, as well as secular institutions. $12 plus $2.50 shipping from UAHC Press, 838 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10021; 1-888- 489-UAHC.

A rabbinic internship specializing in pastoral work with people with AIDS and their families, The Cooperberg- Rittmaster Rabbinical Student Internship Program—invites applicants from any recognized rabbinical school and will include other general activities as well for a September to June position. Send a cover letter and resume to Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, 57 Bethune St., New York, NY 10024; (212)929- 9498; fax (212)620-3154.

University Without Walls, with teleconference classes ranging from history, religion, and art appreciation to book clubs and support groups for caregivers and the visually impaired, is open to participants in the five boroughs of NYC, Westchester and Long Island. This is one of many programs including volunteer holiday package delivery, “friendly visiting” as well as information referral and counseling, offered by the 20-year-old, not-for-profit agency improving the lives of the homebound and homeless elderly. Dorot, 171 W. 85th St., New York, NY 10024; (212)769- 2850; fax (212)769-4989

Are you a descendant of Greek-speaking Romaniote Jews from Janina and the environs of Epirus? Did your ancestors settle in the Western areas of Greece (Janina, Preeza, Arta, Corfu) in the first century as part of the Roman Byzantine Empire, and speak a Greek/Judeo language melding Greek Hebrew and Turkish? (It is believed that barely 1,000 surviving Romaniote Jews live today in Greece, Israel, Turkey, England and the US.; 89% of the Jews of Greece were killed during the Holocaust.) On the weekend of May 3-4, the only Romaniote synagogue in America is celebrating its 70th anniversary and opening a museum—mounted initially on the walls of the large women’s section of the synagogue. Open to the public thereafter on Sundays from 11am-4pm. Be in touch with your community. Visit Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue & Museum, 280 Broome St. (near Allen) on the Lower East Side. Write to: KKJSM, Cooper Station, RO.B. 240, New York, NY 10276; phone (201)763-6110

Lesbian, gay, hi- and or transsexual Jews who have left frum communities to come out and those who choose to remain Orthodox are now shooting “Trembling Before God” a feature length film/video documentary in progress about Jews and how they negotiate their sexuality and identity in Hasidic and Orthodox communities in Brooklyn, London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Jerusalem. Interviewees are sought—especially those still Orthodox/ Hasidic and/or HIV+ or living with AIDS. You may participate in the project in whatever way feels comfortable; strict confidentiality will be respected. Also seeking interns and archival photos, videos, music, stories, help with transcription and Hebrew/Yiddish translation and tax deductible contributions. Contact; Sandi DuBowski, Tomboychik Productions, 25 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012; (212)677-6852; email; simcha2000@aol.com

Got a Jewish folklore or ethnology paper? If you are an undergraduate or graduate students you can win a $ 100 prize from the Jewish Section of the American Folklore Society and be published in the Jewish Folklore and Ethnology Review. Submit entries to Guy Haskell, Near East and Judaic Languages, Timble 121, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322; Ghaskel@emory.edu, or sacksm@Saturn. montclair.edu

YES, YIDDISH!

Lovers of Yiddish culture are invited to sponsor Di Grine Katshke (The Green Duck), a new CD of Yiddish animal songs for children featuring performers Lorin Sklamberg, Paula Teitelbaum, Lauren Brody, Adrienne Cooper and others. There’s also an 80-page illustrated songbook with lyrics, musical transcriptions, games and an introduction to the songs and the culture that created them. Be a subscriber ($35), supporter ($60), or patron ($100), and you will receive an advance copy of the CD and or book. Send your tax deductible contribution to Living Traditions, 430 West 14th St. #514, New York, NY 10014; (212)691-1272.

CANADA

For a book on Canadians in Israel, including those who arrived before statehood, please send on loan (to be returned) memories, anecdotes, personal and family sagas, experiences of early klita (absorption), successes, hardships, failures, and recollections of those who returned. Also conditions that inspired aliyah, and conditions of life in then Palestine/Israel. Loaned photos will be returned. Melvin Fenson, P.O.B. 18098, 91180 Jerusalem, Israel; tel/fax 011- 972-2-5817749; e-mail; shani@math.huji.ac.il

Canadian Women’s Studies: les cahiers de la femme, the feminist quarterly, recently featured a special issue (November 1996, volume 16, #4) on “Jewish Women in Canada.” The 136- page volume includes authors who have appeared in LILITH: Fredelle Bruser Maynard, Nonna Baumel Joseph, Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, Michele Landsberg, Rabbi Gail Labovitz and many others. Individual copies are $8.56, plus $2.50 postage to Canada and the U.S.; $9 postage international. CWS/CF, 212 Founders College, York University, 4700 Keele St., North York, Ontario M3J IP J; (416)736-5356; fax (416)736- 5765; e-mail; cwscf@yorku.ca; http;//www.yorku.ca/org//home.html

Prairie Fire: A Canadian Magazine of New Writing has published a special issue of Jewish Canadian Writing (Vol. 17, #3, Autumn 1996). The 270-page issue includes about 30 pieces by women including Carol Matas, Carol Rose, Sybil Shack, and Adele Wiseman. $12.95 from Prairie Fire Press, 423-100 Arthur St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3; (204)943-9066; fax (204)942-1555.