A proposal to establish five education centers for religious tolerance will be presented at a two-day conference in Jerusalem.
By GREER FAY CASHMANConference Circuit 88(photo credit: Courtesy)Sunday, March 9
THE FOUR-day International Conference of Sister Cities and Municipal Organizations will open at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem at 7.30 p.m. The conference is multipurpose. In addition to establishing new partnerships, exchanging know-how, recognizing the role of local governments and putting international municipal cooperation on the global agenda, it will also feature an exhibition of local government achievements and municipal research projects and it will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Union of Local Authorities (ULA) and the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.
Speakers will include Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, ULA chairman and Karmiel Mayor Adi Eldar, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, The Hague Mayor Wim Deetman, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. There will be several workshops in which participants will have ample to opportunity to share their experiences on a variety of municipal issues.
A LECTURE in Hebrew by Prof. Haim Harari of the Weizmann Institute will give listeners "A look from the depths of the earth to the beginning of the universe." The lecture will take place at 5 p.m. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the Wise Auditorium on the Givat Ram campus, within the framework of the "Why?" series of lectures and musical programs sponsored by the HU Authority for Community and Youth. Admission is free. For more information call (02) 658-6256.
AN INAUGURAL conference to celebrate the establishment of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel will be held under the auspices of HU's Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at 3 p.m. in the Maiersdorf Faculty Club on the Mount Scopus campus. For more information call (02) 588-2192, or e-mail philanthropy@savion.huji.ac.il.
Monday, March 10
THE KORET School of Veterinary Medicine and the HU Faculty of Agricultural Food and Environmental Sciences will host the 32nd Symposium on Veterinary Medicine at 9 a.m. in Rishon Lezion's Veterinary Hospital.
A TWO-DAY Conference on "Existential Threats and Civil-Security Relations: Israel in Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives" will be held from 9.45 a.m.-5.30 p.m. at the Maiersdorf Faculty Club on HU's Mount Scopus campus under the auspices of the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations. For more information call (02) 588-2312.
Tuesday, March 11
MACCABI HEALTH Services will host a symposium in memory of Rafi Rotter. The keynote speaker, Prof. Sir Michael Marmot of University College in London and several Israeli medical authorities will speak about inequality in health services in Israel starting at 2.30 p.m. at Tel Aviv's Dan Panorama Hotel.
THE MENACHEM Begin Heritage Center will mark the 16th anniversary of the passing of the former prime minister with a memorial lecture series. Speakers will include Harry Hurwitz, Yechiel Kadishai, Prof. Moshe Arens, MK Effi Eitam, Yair Stern, Eliezer Cohen and Udi Lebel. The lectures will begin at 5.30 p.m. and will be followed by community singing led by Shalva Berti.
Wednesday, March 12
THE SECOND Yeshiva University Colloquium in Israel will be held over a four-day period at Jerusalem's Renaissance Hotel. Speakers will include YU President Richard Joel, Rabbi Yona Reiss, Rabbi Dr. Jacob Shacter and Shoshana Shacter. Rabbi Chaim Brovender, Prof. Jonathan Halevy, Clara Hammer and Prof. Michael Rosenak will be honored in recognition of their leadership, community service and scholarship.
Thursday, March 13
A CONFERENCE on Water Management in China: Mitigation of Challenges and Prospects for Sino-Israeli Cooperation will take place in English from 9 a.m.-noon in the Yitzhak Rabin Building on HU's Mount Scopus campus. The event is under the auspices of the Louis Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies. For more information call (02) 588-1371.
A PROPOSAL to establish five education centers for religious tolerance will be presented at a two-day conference in Jerusalem's Mishkenot Sha'ananim. Participants will include Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders. The conference is under the auspices of The Voice of Religious Reconciliation. A survey commissioned by the organizers indicated that 83 percent of Jewish respondents considered their trust in the Arab community was at an extremely low ebb, and more than 80% believed that relations would improve considerably with mutual knowledge and understanding.