WRMEA, August 2010, Page 74

Bulletin Board

Upcoming Events, Announcements & Obituaries

—Compiled by Adam Chamy

Upcoming Events

The St. Elias Maronite Church will host the 47th annual Maronite Convention at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Birmingham, AL from July 7 to 11. For more information call (914) 964-3070 or e-mail <nam@nam news.org>.

The Jerusalem Fund in Washington, DC will host an opening July 16 at 6:30 p.m. for "The Light Thread. The Dark Thread," an exhibit of works by Anna Kipervaser. For more information visit <www.thejerusalem fund.org>.

The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation will hold its 9th Annual National Organizers' Conference in Kansas City, MO from July 23 to 25. To register visit <www.endtheoccupation.org> or call (202) 332-0994.

The 39th Arab & Chaldean Festival—an outdoor festival featuring live music, entertainment, special exhibits, food and fashion reflecting Arab and Chaldean history—will take place at Detroit's Hart Plaza July 24 and 25. For more information visit <www.arab andchaldeanfestival.com>.

The Kashmiri-American Council (KAC) and the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers will hold the 11th Annual International Kashmir Peace Conference on Capital Hill in Washington, DC on July 29 and 30, on the theme "India-Pakistan Relations: Breaking the Deadlock over Kashmir." For more information e-mail <> or call KAC at (202) 607-6585 or (202) 628-6789.

Announcements

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) commemorated World Refugee Day June 20 by holding a short-film competition for ambitious young filmmakers. The theme of the competition was "Will We Meet?" a question that makes us stop to think how and when we can achieve peace and justice for the 4.7 million Palestinian refugees who continue to live in camps and rely on the services provided to them by UNRWA some 62 years after their dispossession. The competition was won by Reema Tawil, 24, from Al Bireh (near Ramallah) in the West Bank. Her short film impressed the judges with its powerful simplicity and strong message of the decades-old conflict that remains unresolved. The film can be viewed at <www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQUYshU5mXc>.

American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) has announced the appointment of Dr. Kenneth Lizzio as ANERA's Jerusalem-based country director. A veteran development professional with more than 25 years' experience in project management and research in the Middle East, Africa and other regions, he will supervise 60 staff and volunteers and provide overall leadership in ANERA's activities throughout the West Bank and Gaza. Dr. Lizzio, a specialist in Near East Studies and Islamic religious issues, is fluent in French and Arabic. He replaces Robert Crothers, who has returned to Britain for medical treatment.

Obituaries

Osama Anwar Okasha, 69, one of Egypt's most celebrated teledramatists, noted for his coverage of politics, died May 28 at a Cairo hospital. During the 1980s, he became a well-known fixture throughout the Arab world for his role in the six-part soap opera "Laili al Helamia" (The Nights of al Halmia). Born in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, Egypt, Okasha studied sociology at Cairo's Ain Shams University, graduating in 1962. With more than 35 TV shows to his credit, Okasha was seen as having reshaped modern Arab TV drama. He also published many screenplays and stage dramas focusing on such Egyptian political issues as corruption, unemployment, oppression, and abuse. In recent years, Okasha was known for an article brutally critiquing the Egyptian government.

Moishe Rosen, 78, the Jewish-born Baptist minister and controversial founder of the evangelical group Jews for Jesus, died May 19 of prostate cancer in San Francisco. Born in Kansas City to a practicing Orthodox Jewish family, he converted to Christianity with his Jewish-born wife in 1953. Disowned by his family, he became involved in the Messianic Jewish community. By 1973 he founded Jews for Jesus, the largest and most well known Messianic Jewish movement, which holds that Jews can believe in Jesus as the messiah while still retaining their Jewish identity. Drawing inspiration from Vietnam-era protest movements, Rosen became famous for his catchy street theater performances, printed pamphlets, and unique street-side missionary efforts. The group grew quickly, with many converts found especially among Jews in the former Soviet Union, in Israel, and and among Russian immigrants in the U.S.. Today the movement has offices in 11 countries, including Israel, and employs more than 100 missionaries worldwide. However, the unconventional Rosen faced staunch criticism from many Jewish leaders, who saw his movement as an attempt to destroy Judaism at its core. Over the decades Jews for Jesus has faced numerous lawsuits and intense criticism from the Jewish community worldwide. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, two daughters, a brother, and two grandchildren.

Joseph Mahon, a former Aramco senior vice president, died April 19 in St. Petersburg, FL. After studying naval science and mechanical engineering at Villanova College he joined Aramco in 1951. The following year he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he worked for Aramco for three decades, beginning in Ras Tanura. In 1961 he transferred to Dhahran and was made coordinator of budget and programs. After serving in a variety of positions throughout the Kingdom, he was named senior vice president of corporate services in 1978. Following his retirement in 1982 he moved with his wife, Ruth, to St. Petersburg, FL where he became actively involved in the community, being inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame by the mayor in 2009. He also worked on behalf of Tampa's Muslim-American community, meeting with local editors regarding the cases of University of South Florida professors Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar and Dr. Sami Al-Arian. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Mahon, four children, two grandchildren, and a sister.