Women's American ORT: Calendar

national events calendar

Calendar 1999-2001
Highlights of Events

Attention Chapter and Region Leaders:
Contact your Area Development Consultant for more information on all these events.

October 10, 1999
National Launch of "Living Tributes" computer recognition at open houses at all three U.S. ORT Technical Institutes in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The names of contributors of gifts of $1,000 and above since July 1997 will be listed in a special computer program available at all three schools and at the Women's American ORT national office. Special cyber page for each honoree. WAO's unique, high-tech way to recognize the Major Gifts contributors supporting ORT's high-tech training.
Co-Chairs: Sandy Isenstein & Sharon Ufberg; Staff: Lorraine Braun

November 1999
Nationwide -- ORT Shabbat - "Tradition With a Twist" -- Suggested date: Nov. 19-20
An opportunity for Chapters to present speakers from Women's American ORT sharing ORT's accomplishments with their congregations. Raise local awareness and support for WAO and the ORT Program. Build contributor base, retain membership, attract new members.
Chair: Randi Brenowitz; Staff: Rachel Kossoff & Amy Fiedel

Materials:
* Guidelines and talking points from WAO Speakers Bureau
* Short video from upcoming PBS "The Visionaries" show on Women's American ORT and the ORT Program for pre or post-Shabbat screening.

November 16-19, 1999
Atlanta -- Women's American ORT, American ORT and ORT Operations USA Cybercafe at GA '99 in Atlanta (the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities -- the new name of the combined United Jewish Appeal and Council of Jewish Federations of North America). The largest annual gathering of American Jews.
* Banks of computers with ORT-identified students helping thousands of GA participants e-mail home. High visibility of ORT's high-tech know-how linked with personal connection to our students.

January 2000
The start of ORT's 120th birthday year.

January 14-17, 2000
Washington, D.C. -- "Life Reborn" International Conference on Jewish life after the Holocaust, including ORT training in the DP (Displaced Persons) camps. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C..
Chair: Lynn Leeb; Staff: Amy Stone

March 2000
"Reach for the Stars" Academy Awards Night Young Leadership Inititative with Chapters/Regions shaping their own events. Start Young Leaders and WAO members of all ages on the road to support of ORT at this glitzy event with simultaneous WAO parties across the country. $125 minimum contribution.
Chair: Marlene Dworkin, Associate Chair: Ava Fried; Staff: Karen Bloom

April 10, 2000
120th Anniversary of ORT's founding in St.Petersburg. On April 10, 1880, the first public announcement was made to Jewish communities throughout Czarist Russia, appealing for financial support for the new Society for Training Russian Jews in Trade and Agriculture (abbreviated "Obshestvo Remeslennogo Trude" or "ORT"). The anniversary celebration will continue in November with Night of 120 Celebrations.

May 2000
Release of National Public Television "Visionaries" program on Women's American ORT and the ORT Program to 175 Public Broadcasting System stations.
Chair: Sandy Salaman; Staff: Amy Stone & Alex Rosenberg

Materials:
* Nation-wide broadcasts of "The Visionaries" Year 2000 season including Women's American ORT program.
* Cassette of 30-minute Visionaries show available after PBS release to Chapters/Regions for Chapter meetings, local synagogues, JCCs, libraries.

June 1-11, 2000
WAO Missions 2000 to Israel

Chair: Ruth S. Taffel, Co-Chair: Shelley Fagel

Major Gifts Mission (Co-Chairs: Carolyn Gold & Marcia Friedman) Pacesetters Chair: Claire Mazer
Contributors Mission (Co-Chairs: Terry Azose & Rhonda Wolfson)
Young Leadership Mission (Co-Chair: Lynn Warner)
Optional Pre-Mission to St. Petersburg with World ORT Union - May 30-June 2, 2000 (Chair: Sharon Ufberg)

Staff: Karen Bloom, Jan Kovacs, Lori Rabb

July 2000
Women's American ORT Annual Meeting & Leadership Institute
July 22-23, Houston

Staff: Muriel Shuchatowitz, Karen Bloom
Chair: Haya Varon

November 2000
Nationwide -- ORT Shabbat - Friday and Saturday services featuring speakers from Women's American ORT sharing ORT's accomplishments with their congregations.

November 4-18, 2000
Night of 120 Celebrations in honor of ORT's 120th birthday. Coast-to-coast fund-raising celebrations to be held between Nov. 4 and 18.

Chair: Susan Sher, Associate Chairs: Susan Clayman and Marcy Kantor, Staff: Ilana Lewin

December 17-28, 2000
WAO's Premier Family Mission to Israel
with Post-Mission trip to Eilat (Dec. 27-30)
Chairs: Norma Cohen & Ruth Rosenberg; Staff: Karen Bloom, Jan Kovacs, Lori Rabb

2001
Events and special programming continuing throughout the year -- ORTworks exhibit, "The Visionaries" broadcast of Women's American ORT segment plus opportunities for local showings on videotape, visits to ORT schools for "Living Tributes" computer program honoring WAO's Major Contributors, "Reach for the Stars" in March, ORT Shabbat in November, new WAO Missions to see ORT Programs in action.

July 2001
Women's American ORT Second Triennial National Convention - New York