Jewish Women's Archive Launches Its Celebration Of The 350th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The Jewish Community In North America with Exhibition and Programming at the Boston Public Library, April 8th–May 26, 2004

Exhibits, Films, and Panel Discussions Centering Around 350 Years of Jewish Women Building Communities Are Featured

BROOKLINE, MA, Dec 15, 2003—Gail Reimer, Executive Director of the Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) announced that the organization would launch its commemoration of the founding of the first Jewish community in North America with a variety of activities including exhibits, films, and panel discussions at the Boston Public Library (BPL). The theme for the occasion is "350 Years of Jewish Women Building Communities."

The main attraction at the BPL will be an exhibition of the artworks of Andrea Kalinowski titled Stories Untold: Jewish Pioneer Women 1850—1910, on loan from TREX: The Traveling Exhibition Program of the Museum of New Mexico. The exhibition will open on April 8, 2004 and run through May 26, 2004. Kalinowski's work opens a window to the lives of Jewish women in the American West. Applying computer technology to traditional quilt patterns, Kalinowski interweaves photography, textiles, traditional quilt patterns and the pioneer women's own words into nine large-scale mixed media paintings.

The BPL's film series on Monday nights April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th at 6pm will feature films about Jewish women, while a special program on Tuesday evenings April 20th, 27th, May 4th, and 11th at 6pm, produced in conjunction with the Boston Jewish Film Festival, will highlight films by and about Jewish women. Congressman Barney Frank, businessman Alan Morse, attorney Arthur Waldstein and other speakers will reflect on their mothers in a panel discussion entitled "And Now About My Mother" on May 9, 2004, in honor of Mothers' Day.

In addition, JWA's Women of Valor posters will hang in the Atrium of the BPL. The posters celebrate the lives of trailblazing Jewish women, bringing each woman's story to life. Each of these remarkable women had the courage and conviction to overcome social, cultural and religious barriers to achieve her goals, and each woman transformed the communities of which she was a part.

The BPL's hours are Monday–Thursday 9am–9pm, Friday and Saturday 9am–5pm, Sunday 1pm–5pm. The Library will be closed on Patriot's Day. All activities are free and open to the public.

About JWA

The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) is a national, nonprofit organization with a mission to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and our communities, to our people and our world. Founded in Boston, Mass. in 1995, JWA was one of the first organizations in the Jewish community to stake a claim in the new frontier of the web, and continues to innovate in its use of the virtual world for academic, cultural, archival and educational purposes. JWA's award-winning website, jwa.org, has the most extensive collection of material on American Jewish women on the web. JWA has become a leading advocate for and center of education in Jewish women's history.

About the 350th Anniversary

In September 1654 twenty-three people, including women, men and children, landed in New Amsterdam on the ship St. Cathrien to form the first Jewish settlement in North America. The presence of women and children indicates that these Jews were the first to come to the North American continent in search not only of trade, but also of a home. 2004 marks 350 years since this first communal settlement of Jews in North America. JWA is serving as a coordinator and catalyst for programs focused on women and their contributions. For more information or to sign up for updates about 350th activities go to jwa.org/350years.