By PEGGY CIDOR Int'l Christian Embassy J'lem fun day for lone soldiers 521(photo credit: Courtesy ICEJ)New book fair president appointed Avi Pazner, former Israeli ambassador to The Vatican, Italy and France, was appointed president of the Jerusalem International Book Fair by Mayor Nir Barkat. For the last few years, Pazner was the international president of the United Jewish Appeal and since 2000 has served as an official spokesman for the Israeli government. The book fair, which has taken place every two years since 1963, attracts more than 600 publishers and writers from around the world.Within its framework, the prestigious Jerusalem Prize for writers is awarded.Balabasta, one more round The Balabasta, the Mahaneh Yehuda market outdoor summer attraction, was canceled by the Merchants’ Association, reconsidered and approved by Mayor Nir Barkat. Now it seems we are facing yet another round.At the recent meeting of the city council’s finance committee, the budget for the Balabasta (from the city’s budget) was put to a vote but failed to be approved, following opposition by some council members.City council member Elisha Peleg (Likud) said the Balabasta was a “sheer waste of time and money” and received much support from the haredi benches on the committee, who voted against it, arguing that it was not a profitable event for the shuk merchants and thus should not be imposed on them.City council member Meirav Cohen (Hitorerut B’yerushalayim), who supports the project, said it was clear that the haredi councillors voted against it “because they are always opposed to any cultural event in which men and women might see each other.”With the abstention of committee president David Hadari (Habayit Hayehudi), the final decision was handed over to the monthly city council meeting, which took place on Thursday, after press time. Since the mayor is strongly in favor of the Balabasta, chances are good that it will take place.Tutoring program pays off The municipality’s Education Department reports that there is an increase of 4 percent in the number of students eligible for matriculation this year. Some 23 high schools in the city, in which a tutoring program for matriculation has been added to the curriculum, have increased the number of eligible students by 10%. Thanks to the NIS 9 million program, the students in the schools that joined the program received 60 hours of support on the matriculation topics and thus improved their results dramatically.Among the schools that ran the program (financed by a joint budget of the Education Ministry and the municipality) are Sieff and Marks, Seligsberg, Gilo, Denmark, Ramot, Keshet, Beit Hinuch, Masorti, Kedma, Or Torah and the Yeshiva Noam high school.The program is implemented in intervals of three to four months, focuses on a specific topic (math, English or other) and is presented by the school’s teachers or special teams provided by the Education Department, as the teachers follow their progress.American dreams of a holy land American travelers who visited the Holy Land in the 19th century expected to find the exotic characters that painters and other travelers had depicted years before them. In the Land of Milk and Honey, they anticipated encountering the heroes of the Holy Scriptures, but that was not (always) the case.An exhibition dedicated to those visitors and their dreams, as they wrote them in their diaries or publications, goes on display on July 4, American Independence Day. The catalogue of the exhibition will be presented in a special event on that day, honoring the archeologists, writers, travelers, poets and painters of the time, as well as the pilgrims and official representatives of the American nation in the Holy Land in those years. The program will be presented in Hebrew and English. Entrance is free. The National Library, Givat Ram, July 4 at 8 p.m. New Shalva center approved In Hebrew, the word for “serenity” is shalva, and that is the name of an institution dedicated to the care of children and adolescents with special needs, and their parents and families. A new Shalva center will be built in Bayit Vagan, and this week the local planning and construction committee approved the plans for its construction. The center will be one of the most advanced and modern facilities of its kind in the country. It will include a therapeutic swimming pool, a sports hall equipped with all the devices necessary for the special needs of the children and an auditorium equipped for music therapy, dance and drama. A large park will surround the main building for sports and recreation. The Shalva center will be built with the support of the municipality.The jewels in the crowning achievements Gold, fashion, art – these are the ingredients that make up the annual exhibition of the city’s most famous art school. The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and its departments of Jewelry and Fashion present their annual harvest – the works of the students. The exhibition opens on July 3 between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Bezalel Gallery, 23 Jaffa Road. Entrance is free. Not so alone Lone soldiers serving in the IDF while their families remain abroad deserve a warm welcome. And it seems that not only Jewish groups and organizations are interested in their welfare. Last week, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem sponsored an outing for 45 IDF lone soldiers serving in the Nahal Brigade. The event, which was held at Teddy Stadium, included activities such as wall climbing and self-defense courses, and the ICEJ staff joined in on the fun. Afterwards, at a luncheon at the Eucalyptus restaurant in Yemin Moshe, every soldier was given a gift of an all-purpose utility knife. Young, dedicated and democratic High-school students involved in public life around you or at your institution, take note. The next election for the president of the high school students’ association will take place in November, but preparations are already in high gear. The city’s youth committee, headed by city councilor Meirav Cohen (Hitorerut B’yerushalayim), met recently to prepare for the elections, focusing on how to make the elections a real “democratic festival” for the young generation. On the agenda are parties, lots of music and fun, as well as lectures on what it means to hold elections and how to persuade principals to permit and facilitate elections during the school year.
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