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Women's Symposium'99 honored with Community Service Award by Pam Monsky, Federation Communications Director
• Women's Symposium '99 will be awarded the shops focusing on important aspects of a woman's 1999 Community Service Award, presented to life within Judaism and the Jewish Community. The program exceeded all expectations by gatherJewish Family Service at the Federation's Annual ing 148 participants. The women chose from a Meeting, Monday, June 26, 7 p.m., in the selection of nine workshops on a variety JCC Theater. of topics. Each workshop was faciliWomen's Symposium '99 was a tated by an expert in the field unique, issue driven program that with the perspective of a Jewish brought together women from woman. all segments within the Omaha Jewish community The highlight of the day to discuss, problem solve, was a luncheon keynote learn more about their address, "A Tale of Two personal choices, and Cultures: Jewish Women • think about solutions to in America Today," by dilemmas faced by all at Esther Perel, an interone time or another in nationally-known theratheir lives. pist who focuses her work on helping famiCo-chaired by Carol lies and individuals Bloch and Gloria solve problems and cope Kaslow, coordinated by with change. Jewish Family Service, Displays by numerous and funded by the Jewish organizations proHerbert Gold-sten Trust, vided networking opportuthe Gertrude T. Newman nities and volunteer options and Albert B. Newman available in our community. Endowment Fund, all of the In addition to the awards, area synagogues, Jewish community volunteers will be women's organizations, and all of honored and new Federation offithe Federation Centers cers and board members will be Excellence, this event was the culminainstalled. tion of a year of planning. For more information, please contact me at 334Volunteers and professionals alike joined forces to provide a day filled with discussions and work- 6431.
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Peace talks die with Assad until son gets grip on power by Gil Sedan JERUSALEM (JTA)-Peace talks between Israel Israel into withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Analysts say Bashar is unlikely to stray from the and Syria, already halted, will probably be put into a deep freeze, most Israeli analysts agreed this hard line his father set in negotiations with Israel. week following the death of Syrian President Hafez Hafez Assad had demanded a total Israeli pullback from the Golan Heights to the June 4,1967, lines. Assad. Knesset member Yuval Steinitz of the right wing I n the near future, one cannot speak of any peace process," said Eyal Sisser, head of the Syrian desk at Likud Party called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak irresponsible "when he virtually pleaded the Dayan Research Center at Tel Aviv University. However, Sisser added that in the long run, Assad's with Assad to take the Golan Heights, even though death will contribute to the peace process because "a he had known that his days were numbered." • But others say that for the past two years, Israel new leader will be committed to change." Syria's new leader apparently will be Bashar strove to reach an agreement with Assad precisely Assad. On Sunday, Syria's ruling Ba'ath Party for that reason. Israeli intelligence believed that it nominated Bashar to succeed his father as presi- would be easier for Assad's successor to implement dent. The Syrian parliament will meet June 25 to . a peace agreement signed by Assad than to negotiate on his own, said Ze'ev SchifF, military analyst approve the nomination. Bashar, 34, was not in line for Syria's presidency for the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. However, despite Israel's willingness to make until six years ago. He was an ophthalmologist practicing in London in 1994 when his older broth- concessions, politicians and intellectuals on both er, Basil, was killed in an auto accident. Assad the right and left agree that Assad bore the responsummoned Bashar back to Damascus and began sibility for the futile peace talks with Israel. "We, Israelis, have no reason to shed tears over the grooming him as his chosen successor. "In the past six years, Bashar has managed to do death of Hafez Assad," said Nahum Barriea, a leadwhat others take 16 years," said Sisser. "He has ing columnist with the newspaper Yediot Achronot. "The man who missed all the trains and had jeopturned from an ophthalmologist into a division commander in the special forces of the Republican ardized all peace tracks in bis stubbornness and his hesitations has ended his role in the history qf the Guard." In the past two years, Bashar was responsible for Middle East." But Itamar Rabinovich, Israel's former ambasthe Lebanon portfolio in the Syrian government In his first media interview last year, he echoed his sador to the United States, a leading expert on father's line when he bitterly criticized Arab states Syria and former head of the Israeli negotiating that have signed "unilateral peace deals" with Israel. team in talks with Syria, did give Assad some credHe told a Lebanese daily that Syria was using it for having "rehabilitated in recent years die idea Hezbollah fighters as a bargaining chip to pressure of peace with Israel."
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comes to Temple by Iris Ricks Corinne Stavish, renowned Jewish storyteller and workshop leader, will be the special guest at Temple Israel's Shabbat service on Friday, June 23, at 8 p.m. The inspiration I to tell stories came to Stavish in her Evanston, IL, synagogue about 20 years ago. Listening to a Jewish storyteller at services, plus her involvement in her synagogue, contributed to her interest in this | ancient tradition. Tve always had' Corinne Stavish a propensity for drama", said Stavish, who has a degree in Speech and Theater from the University of Illinois, and a graduate degree in Performing Arts from Northeastern Illinois University. Her strong background in comparative literature and folklore shows in stories and articles published in national journals and in her new book of Jewish folktales, Seeds from Our Past: Planting for the Future. She also serves as Director of the Technical Communication Program at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Mich. , ' . ; •,'-;,• . Stavish practices her artistry throughout the United States and Canada. She was one of two Jewish storytellers at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, last October. She is also a co-chair of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE). Harlene Appelman, Director of the Alliance for Jewish Education of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, calls Stavish ". . .a superb storyteller. . . one of the best intergenerational leaders, workshop leaders, performers and teachers in the United States." Stavish loves storytelling because "there's an immediacy between the teller and audience and a form of communication between both." Further, "I love to tell Jewish stories because they represent my heritage and the best of what I strive to be." Stavish will be in Omaha for the Nebraska Storytelling Festival at the College of St. Mary, 1901S. 72nd Street, from June 23-25. For further information about the festival, call 551-4532.
INSIDE... HBO premieres; documentary;
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The ChildrenofChabannei>.,...,p!igelp. .
Panel discussion follows Twilight oftheGoUts~.pagr 10.