November 2009

St. Paul JCC Book FairAuthor: Lilly Koppel
Tuesday,November 17, St Paul JCC, 7:00 p.m.

NCJW St. Paul Section is co-sponsoring St. Paul JCC Book Fair author: Lilly Koppel. Koppel will speak at the St. Paul JCC on Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m. about her book, The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a LifeThrough the Pages of a Lost Journal.

In her book The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal, author Lily Koppel tells the story of discovering a lost diary in a dumpster outside her UpperWest Side Manhattan apartment. Koppel describes how she set out to find the writer of this remarkable journal,which painted a vivid picture of a young artist coming of age in 1930s NewYork. The diary’s author, FlorenceWolfson, the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia, was one of a generation of Depression-stamped young women who longed to cultivate an artistic life.

Lily Koppel writes for The NewYork Times and other publications.A graduate of Barnard College with degrees in English and creative writing, she studied at Oxford and in Paris. She lives in NewYork City. She describes finding the diarist as rediscovering her “bubbe.”


U of M Center for Jewish Studies Lecture Series
Tuesday, November 24, Beth Jacob Congregation, 7:30 p.m.

NCJW St. Paul Section is co-sponsoring speaker, Deborah Hertz at Beth Jacob Congregation on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Deborah Hertz is the HermanWouk Chair in Modern Jewish Studies and Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego, www.deborahhertz.com


December 2009

Saving the Lost Tribe:The Rescue of the Ethiopian Jews
Thursday, December 3, St. Paul JCC, 7:00 p.m.

NCJW St. Paul Section is co-sponsoring speaker, Ambassador Asher Naim at the St. Paul JCC on Thursday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Ambassador Asher Naim,Ambassador of Israel to Ethiopia from 1990-1991 during “Operation Solomon,” will share his first hand account of his negotiations to help Ethiopian Jews flee the turmoil of internal war that plagued Ethiopia. Largely due to Ambassador Naim’s efforts, during a 24-hour period, 14,200 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted and flown to Israel.

Since retiring from the Foreign Service in September 1995,Ambassador Naim has continued his activities on behalf of the immigrant community of Ethiopia, its absorption and integration in Israeli society on a voluntary basis. In October 2009, he received the Spirit of RaoulWallenberg Humanitarian Award bestowed "on individuals, organizations and communities that reflect RaoulWallenberg's humanitarian spirit, personal courage and nonviolent action in the face of enormous odds."

Sponsored by the United Jewish Fund and Council, the St Paul JCC and NCJW St. Paul Section.


NCJWSt. Paul Section Solar Cooker Fundraiser
Tuesday, December 8, Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant, 7:00 p.m.

An evening to celebrate Hanukah and protect refugee women in Darfur!
As we celebrate the miracle of our own people’s limited resources, let’s also help women facing limited resources across the globe. The Solar Cooker Project, started by JewishWorldWatch, seeks to protect refugee women and girls who have fled the genocide in Darfur, a region of Sudan. Women in this region are particularly vulnerable while performing the critical task of collecting firewood for cooking. By providing the refugee women with an alternative cooking option, the solar cooker, the women are able to remain within the relative safety of the camp by reducing their dependency on wood.

Fasika Restaurant, 510 Snelling Ave N., St Paul, 55104
Cost: $36 (Includes great company, dinner, dessert, drinks, and one solar cooker for women in Darfur).

RSVP by December 1 to SandyWolkowicz at sandyww@aol.com or (612) 759- 2512
For more information on the Solar cooker project, visit: http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/refugeerelief/solarcookerproject.html


St. Paul JCC’s Dreidel Dash 5K and Maccabee Mini Mile
Sunday, December 13, 1:00 p.m.

Put a New Spin on Hanukah!
NCJW St. Paul Section is proud to co-sponsor the 2nd Annual Dreidel Dash 5K,Maccabee Mini Mile and St. Paul Community Hanukah celebration on Sunday, December 13 at 1 p.m.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the Maccabee Mini Mile for children 10 and under,which starts at 2 p.m. It is a speedy loop along St. Paul Avenue in front of the St. Paul JCC. Please contact Tracey Agragnoff at tagranoff@stpauljcc.org for more information about this fun volunteer opportunity.

For more information or to register online:www.stpauljcc.org
For map and course information: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3212103