June; 2008
Issue
51
In This
Issue:
*Consul General's message
*Library Conference
*U.S. Challenge Contest
*The Czeslaw Milosz Award
*Magic Show
*"Letters to Sala"
*E-journalUSA
May is always a fascinating but busy month here. It seems that every day there is another conference or concert or opening!
I just returned from a trip to the Podkarpackie region. I was honored to attend the very moving dedication of a new monument marking the 65th anniversary of the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Lubaczow. Rabbi of Galicja Edgar Gluck and Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich were among the dignitaries attending this event. I also had the occasion on this trip to visit the town of Jaroslaw and see the wonderful community center founded by Father Andrzej Surowiec. As always, I returned from Podkarpackie impressed by beauty of the region and the great spirit of the people.
Ambassador Ashe and I were in Oswiecim in May for the inaugural Raphael Lemkin Genocide Prevention Seminar organized by American philanthropist Fred Schwartz. The Raphael Lemkin Genocide Prevention Seminar was set against the backdrop of Auschwitz-Birkenau and attracted government officials from Europe, Africa, and Asia as well as leading scholars and legal authorities. We were honored to take part in this important event.
May began for us with a very special visit. Five members of the Achilles track club Freedom Team, all disabled American military veterans, completed the Krakow marathon on May 4. The veterans were joined by former New York City Fire Chief and 9/11 hero Dan Daly. Our veterans and Chief Daly are wonderful examples of American volunteerism and commitment to triumph over adversity, and it was truly an honor to meet them.
May has also been a very active month for our alumni of Fulbright and other U.S. government exchange programs. We co-organized a conference on immigration and ethnicity with our State Department Alumni Association and Jagiellonian University. We really value the energy and enthusiasm of our alumni and encourage them to stay involved. For more on the State Department Alumni Association please visit their web site at: https://alumni.state.gov/ . One of our current Fulbrighters in Poland, Minna Zielonka-Packer, was also in Krakow in May to show her documentary film about the Holocaust entitled “Back to Gombin”. We have a very dynamic Fulbright program here in Poland. To learn more, please visit http://www.fulbright.edu.pl
As schools wind down in June we have some special events for students. At our American Corner in Wroclaw on June 4 we have a “U.S. Challenge” trivia contest where multiple schools will be competing to show off their knowledge about the United States. For more information please see the American Corner web site. We are also delighted that Robert Friedhoffer, a professor from New York University, will be here to perform his “Scientific Magic Show”, which not only promises to entertain students but will also instill them with a desire to learn more about science.
I wish everyone a pleasant and relaxing June.
Library: The Key to Users' Success
On June 2nd and 3rd, 2008 The Institute of Information and Library Science, Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Jagiellonian University in cooperation with U.S. Consulate General in Krakow and The Polish Bibliological Association, Krakow Branch will hold an international conference entitled "Library: The Key to Users' Success". The main goal of the conference is to exchange experiences and present research findings as well as to discuss the role and potentials of modern libraries in supporting aspirations and efforts of their users. The conference program includes a videoconference entitled "Wikis for Library Professionals" with Meredith Farkas, the author of "Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki". The videoconference will take place on June 2nd at 3:00 p.m. at the U.S. Consulate General, Stolarska 9.
For the full program and more information on the conference please see: http://www.inib.uj.edu.pl/eng/confer/ks/index.htm
"U.S. Challenge" Contest in American Corner
The American Corner at Dolnoslaska Public Library and the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow will hold a high school student contest called the "U.S. Challenge" on June 4th. "U.S. Challenge" will test participants' knowledge of American history, popular culture, politics and geography. Five teams of students from Wroclaw high schools will compete to become the U.S. Challenge champions.
Please see the American Corner website for more information on the Corner's activities: http://www.amcorners.pl/wroclaw/
The Czesław Miłosz Award for Contributions to U.S-Polish Understanding goes to Adam Zagajewski
This award is given to an individual dedicated to promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater understanding between the people of the United States and Poland. Through his work, Adam Zagajewski, an outstanding poet, has made significant contributions to the development of strong and close ties of friendship between the United States and Poland based on mutual understanding.
Last year U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, presented film director Andrzej Wajda with the U.S. Embassy’s first Czesław Miłosz Award for Contributions to U.S-Polish Understanding on June 18, 2007 during a reception at the Ambassador’s Residence. This year, the Ambassador will present the Czesław Miłosz Award to the poet Adam Zagajewski during a reception at his residence in early June.
Scientific Magic Show by Bob Friedhoffer
Professor Bob Friedhoffer from City University of New York will visit Poland in June to perform his “Scientific Magic Show". Professor Friedhoffer is known around world as a magician who does science, or sometimes, a scientist who does magic. He shows how magic uses science to create illusions. His academic work is in the field of science education and the history of science. He has appeared on many television shows as a scientist and magician, written over 35 books, designed over 10 science kits for the general public and has presented his programs in over 50 countries. In Poland Bob Friedhoffer will perform in Warsaw, Krakow, Ruda Slaska and Wroclaw.
For details of his program and venues please call the U.S. Consulate General at tel: 12 424 5143
Exhibition "Letters to Sala" at Galicia Jewish Museum
An opening of a traveling exhibition "Letters to Sala: A Young Woman's Life in Nazi Labor Camps" will take place at Galicia Jewish Museum, Dajwor 18 in Krakow on June 29th at 4:00 p.m. The exhibition is a compelling collection of Holocaust-era letters and photographs that are part of the collections of The New York Public Library. It includes handwritten postcards, photographs and official documents that were saved at great personal risk by Sala Garncarz from the time she entered a Nazi labor camp in 1940 until her liberation in 1945.
Website
of New York Public Library ("Letters to
Sala"): http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/sala/index.html
Website of Galicia Museum: http://www.galiciajewishmuseum.org/
This eJournal explores the phenomenon that drives uncounted Americans — and now citizens of other nations — to create fledgling “start-up” businesses that explore and exploit the latest developments in high technology. It also investigates the closely related “venture capital” phenomenon. How investors match their funds to (hopefully) winning ideas is a big part of the start-up story.
HTML version: http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/0508.html
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U.S. Consulate General, ul.
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