Happening

LEARN

Gender and Judaism, a conference to be held April 25-27, will explore gender related issues in Jewish thought, history, literature, ritual and culture. Speakers include: Howard Adelman, Harry Brod, Yael Feldman, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Laura Geller, Judith Hauptman, Susannah Heschel, Paula Hyman, Judith Plaskow and Alice Shalvi. Information: Tamar Rudavsky/Judith Stauber, Melton Center for Jewish Studies, Ohio State University; 344 Dulles Hall, 230 W. 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1311, (614) 292-0967.

Women’s Media; National Women’s Organizations; and Work in Progress are three new directories from the National Council for Research on Women, a coalition of 75 centers and organizations that bridges scholarship, policy and action programs. They also publish Women’s Research Network News, a quarterly newsletter. NCRW, 47-49 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10021, (212) 570-5001.

Conversations with interesting women — famous, not-so-famous, women with special interests or special problems, form a collection of 300 videotapes from the cable TV show “Focus on Women,” created by Florence Rapoport. Long Island Cablevision has donated the tapes, whose subjects include Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Holtzman, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Susan Weidman Schneider and a group of Israeli teenagers, to the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Hebrew Women Writers 1992-1993 is a booklet providing brief biographies of Amalia Kahana-Carmon, Yehudit Hendel, Shulamit Lapid, Ruth Almog, Hannah Bat- Shahar, Gabriella Avigur-Rotem, Savyon Liebrecht, Michal Gourin, Noga Treves, Leah Ayalon, Orly Castel-Bloom and Leah Aini. Further information about these writers, translations, biographies and bibliographies are also available. The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature, P.O.B. 10051, Ramat Can 52001, Israel, (03) 5796830, Fax (03) 5796832.

Sexual Politics in the Third Reich: The Persecution of Homosexuals During the Holocaust, a bibliography and introductory essay by Jack Nusan Porter, is $5.95 from The Spencer Press, 8 Burnside Road, Newton, MA 02161.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Independent Adoption: Exploring the Options is a free workshop for couples and singles. Topics include: domestic versus international adoption; adoption of infants & young children; working with attorneys, agencies & birth parents; home studies, pre-certification & immigration requirements; and costs of adopting. Workshops are led monthly by Kathy Ann Brodsky, Director of Networking Adoption Program. JCCA of New York, 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, (212) 303-4722.

AJIRA, an outreach program for Jews in recovery meets twice each month at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. They’re seeking funds to hire a part-time staffer, produce a newsletter, and advertise in local publications. Newsletter $18.00; supporting member $36.00; founding member $54.00; AJIRA angel $100. JCC of SF, 3200 California Street, (415)346-6040×3054.

The Caregivers Center offers workshops led by prominent elder care experts, exploring survival tactics, avoiding the pitfalls of caregiving, finding help, making informed choices, ethics and the Jewish perspective, nutrition and health maintenance, memory loss and more. $10 per session; $25 for three sessions. Dorot, Inc., 171 West 85th Street, New York, NY 10024, (212) 769-2850.

CONNECT

Female ritual directors of synagogues, who are not ordained rabbis, are invited to network with a non-ordained woman who is baalat kreeyah (Torah reader), on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays, conducts the daily minyan, and prepares students for bar and bat mitzvah. Sandra Winters, Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21208, (410)484-0411.

Dovetail: a Newsletter by and for Jewish-Christian Families aims to provide a channel of communication for interfaith couples, their parents and children. Articles and letters to the editor are welcome. One year subscriptions for six bimonthly issues are $24.99 from Dovetail Publishing 3014A Folsom Street, Boulder, CO 80304.

The 13th International Conference of Gay and Lesbian Jews

will take place in London, England from April 30- May 3, 1993. For information, application: Bat Mitzvah Conference, London WCIN 3XX, England.

Access invites unaffiliated college students to visit local synagogues, get rabbinical counseling, and learn in synagogue-sponsored adult education courses. A free directory that lists participating synagogues in the US and Canada, as well as Israel programs, summer job opportunities for students, and local families willing to offer a Sabbath meal, or a friendly call. Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 838 Fifth Avenue, New York. NY 10021.

The Albert Finkelstein Campus Editors Mission to Poland and Israel, summer of 1993, seeks editors-in-chief, managing editors or news editors from college newspapers interested in a deeper understanding of Israel’s social, political and security challenges and of the importance of Israel to the Jewish people. Applications due by the end of April to Jeff Ross, ADL of B’nai B’rith, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, (212) 490-2525.

PRESS OF POLITICS

The Getting It Gazette: Women’s Point of View Journalism is a political broadsheet, featuring Jane O’Reilly and Deidre English, among others, and is intended for women “who can laugh and think at the same time.” $35 for intermittent issues of the 1993 Gazette. Getting It Gazette, 451 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011, (212) 229-0763.

Political Woman: Charting Our Progress Towards Equality is an independent, non-partisan, progressive, pro-choice, monthly newsletter that aims to be “the definitive source of timely and in-depth information on women in government.” Charter subscriptions $35.00. Political Woman, 276 Chatterton Parkway, White Plains, NY 10606, Fax: (914) 285-9763.

Choosing Choice: Plain talk every other month about abortion, politics and the Constitution is a newsletter designed to illuminate abortion law for non-lawyers. Complimentary copies available. A one-year subscription includes twelve letters (ready to be signed and mailed to legislators). Regular subscriptions $55; women’s clinics $45; students $34. Choosing Choice, 868 Shrader Street, San Francisco, CA 94117.

“YOUR STORY HERE”

For an exhibition “Becoming American Women : Clothing and the Jewish Immigrant Experience, 1880-1920,” if you have any artifacts (clothing, photos, documents, etc.) that you can lend or donate, or if you have any stories you can tell please contact the Chicago Historical Society, Attention Joanne Grossman, 1601 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, (312) 642-5035 x 270.

Share your celebration of the New Moon. Submit your meditations for the Hebrew months; creative writing and illustration, ideas for text study, annotated list of resources, groups and materials for a Rosh Chodesh Source book. Please send three copies and SASE with materials or inquiries by June 1, 1993, to Susan Berrin, 903 Linden Avenue, Victoria BC V8V 4G8 Canada.

The unique spiritual journeys and personal stories of Jews by choice are sought for a book. Write or call for mail questionnaire or appointment for telephone interview. Janna Walsh, 331 Mountain View Avenue, Skillman, NJ 08558, (609) 966-2599.

For a book on the history of childlessness, please send your story. Whether because of medical or economic reasons, medical treatment or infertility. how did it feel? What did you do about it? How did others respond? Your story can be sent on a tape; it will be transcribed and a copy of the transcription and tape sent back. Elaine Tyler May, American Studies Program, 104 Scott Hall, 72 Pleasant Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0225. (612) 624-4190.

JUDAIC ARTS

National Jewish Art Week, March 14-20, 1993, will be a first annual celebration aimed at expanding the public’s awareness of the diversity and quality of American Jewish art and culture. To be included in a calendar of events, or for information, contact The American Guild of Judaic Art: Attn: National Jewish Art Week, P.O. Box 1794, Murray Hill Station, New York NY 10156- 0609, (212) 889-7581.

Relevaciones is a flamenco dance/drama depicting the trauma experienced by a Catholic woman in 16th century Spain when she discovered her family was secretly practicing Judaism. The program features flamenco dancer Lili del Castillo, and a lecture demonstration on the historical background of flamenco as it relates to Sephardic music. For booking information, call Southwest News and Arts Service at (505) 984-3091.

The Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework invites women and men at every level of ability in the needle arts to participate in this association which disseminates information on Judaic embroidery, provides a bulletin of information, and trains teachers. Chapters exist in the US and Canada. The Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework, P.O. Box260964, Encino, CA 91425-0964.

REACH OUT TO RUSSIAN WOMEN

An International Conference of Jewish Women in Kiev, Ukraine, May 23-29, 1994 is being planned by Project Kesher, an independent non-profit organization that assists Jewish renewal programs in the former Soviet Union and connects them to appropriate Western Jewish resources for support. The conference will provide a meeting place to learn and experience religious pluralism, activism and history. Want to help plan it? Lead a workshop? Organize a delegation? Contact: Sallie E. Gratch, Project Kesher, 1134 Judson Avenue, Evanston, It 60202, (703) 332-1994, Fax: (708) 332-2134.

Books and articles on Jewish women’s issues are needed for a Russian-Jewish library at the Klein Branch of the JCC in Northeast Philadelphia, a neighborhood with many Russian immigrants. Also ideas are sought to organize financial support for publication of a pluralistic Jewish women’s anthology, even initially as a pamphlet with key articles or selections. Also seeking an editor for such a project. Contact: Rabbi Robert Tabak, 1616 Walnut Street, #909, Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 985-1818.

For cooperative projects with Russian feminist scholars and activists, send proposals for activities involving training/teaching, project development and research. Proposals should offer tested and practical models appropriate for translation into the Russian experience. Contact Sarah Harder. Women’s Studies Consortium at the University of Wisconsin, UW-Eau-Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, (715) 836-5717.

HOW TO INCLUDE

That All May Worship: An Interfaith Welcome To People With Disabilities “prayerfully pushes” religious leaders and their congregations to change how people with disabilities are, or are not, included in religious life. The 52- page compendium shows how to overcome barriers of attitude, communication, and architecture. $10.00 per copy to individuals or congregations; bulk rates available. National Organization on Disability, Religion and Disability Program, 910 16th Street, NW #600, Washington, DC 20006, (800) 248- ABLE-2253, (202) 293-5968 TDD. Available on tape for those with visual impairments.

The Journal of Religion in Disability & Rehabilitation is a new quarterly, aiming to be an interdisciplinary, interfaith and multicultural forum. Send your request for a free sample of the charter issue (Spring 1993) on official letterhead to The Haworth press, Inc., Sample Department, Box Comp, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 Subscriptions are $18.00 per year for individuals, $32.00 for institutions, $48 for libraries. “Instructions for Authors” are available from editors William Blair or Dana Y. Davidson, Journal of Religion in Disability, Baptist Medical Center, Pastoral Counseling & Education Center, 750 Montclair Road, Birmingham, AL 35213.