Other news:

Several Romanian personalities will be present at the International Book Fair in Jerusalem (June 23-27, 2003): academicians Nicolae Cajal (president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania) and Augustin Buzura (president of the Romanian Cultural Foundation), Eugen Uricariu (president of the Romanian Writers' Union), Dorel Dorian (deputy in the Romanian Parliament), Ileana Andrei Cudalb (representative of the Ministry for Public Information, Department for Romanians Everywhere), literary historian Lucian Pricop (representative of the Ministry for Culture and Cults and the one in charge with the Romanian bookstall), novelist George Balaita and other writers, Prof. Alexandru Singher (manager of the Hasefer Publishing House), Silviu Lupescu (manager of Polirom Publishing House), as well as representatives of other publishing houses, and a group of university people whose names we have not received yet.

Several books will be launched at the Romanian bookstall. "The Return of the Hooligan" (published by Polirom), Norman Manea's latest book, will be launched in the author's presence, together with two other works of his: "The Black Envelope" (The Romanian Book Publishing House) and "House of the Snail" (Hasefer). Other books to be launched: "Dictionary of the Romanian Literary Avantgarde" by Lucian Pricop, "Illusions and Truths" by Mircea Saucan, "The Glass Hat" by Nava Semel (translation from Hebrew), "Order and Disorder" by Alexandru Sever, "Six Women" by Virgil Duda and "The Right to Exist", B. Elvin's latest prose volume. Two round tables will be held on the interference of cultures topic. They will be attended by Romanian and Israeli personalities. One of them will take place at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the other - at the Cultural Circle in Jerusalem. Romanian writers will also attend a reunion at the Cultural Circle in Haifa.

Several Israeli and Romanian writers will be awarded distinctions for their contribution to enhancing the cultural relationships between the two countries. On Friday, June 22, the Writers' House in Tel Aviv will host a double award ceremony: novelist Alexandru Sever (from Israel) will receive the "Felix Aderca" International Prize, granted by the Romanian Writers' Union, while writer Ileana Andrei Cudalb (from Romania) will be presented the "Felix Aderca" International Prize, granted by the Association of Israeli Writers in Romanian (AIWR).

On the same occasion, Israeli poets Sandu David (former active president and current honorary president of the Union of the Israeli Writers' Associations) and Shaul Carmel (president of AIWR) will be granted the Special Prize of the Romanian Writers' Union for their contribution to building the "spiritual bridge between Israel and Romania". The prizes of the Romanian Writers' Union will be presented by Eugen Uricariu (president of the union). The AIWR prize, sponsored by persons who wish to remain anonymous, will be presented by Shaul Carmel.

Felix Aderca, whose name is borne by the prizes, saw the light of day in 1891, in Puiesti, Vaslui department, and died in 1962, in Bucharest. Symbolist poet, short story writer and novelist, promoter of the science fiction genre, Felix Aderca is considered to be a first-class figure of the Romanian literature between the two world wars and after the second world war. The first edition of the "Felix Aderca" Prize was organized by the Union of the Israeli Writers' Associations and AIWR in 1991. For a few years, the prize went in turn to writers from Israel and from Romania. These last years, the distinction was no longer awarded, because of the lack of sponsors.

"The Jewish Reality" magazine (no 185-186, April 16-May 15, 2003) - which arrived at our editorial office these last days - informs about an election meeting that will be organized on June 8, 2003, at the Jewish Community in Bucharest. The meeting will elect both the members of the Directorial Committee of the community, and the delegates for the national convention of the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania (FJCR).

The announcement mentions the following nominees for the Directorial Committee: "For president - Osy Lazar (engineer), Ida Schotek (legal advisor); for members - Jose Blum (engineer), Iancu Adler (engineer), Eduard Kupferberg Hascal (legal advisor), Sergiu Iscovici (engineer), Eliad Iacobeanu (engineer), Anette Vainer (economist), Liviu Calin (engineer), Otto Adler (engineer), Maxim Benisch (economist), Jean Bercu, Prof. Ezra Alhasid, dr. Albert Froimovici, Martian Feller (engineer), Mirela Asman (engineer), dr. Henrich Falik, Iosif Cotnoreanu (engineer), Octavian Fulop (engineer), dr. Silvia Jachter, dr. Irina Lovinescu. For censors - Iosif Salater (economist), Isaia Dasm Schechter (economist)."
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Here are some excerpts from the magazine's contents: