Invite an Abayudaya Speaker to Your Community, Fall 2008
Photo: richardsobol.com
Kulanu is currently planning a visit to the U.S. from Israel Siriri, head of the executive committee of the Abayudaya Congregation of Uganda, to inform American audiences about the Abayudaya and to raise funds for the community. We are writing to ask for your help in identifying possible venues for his presentations. The tour will begin October 31, 2008 and end December 2, 2008.
Mr. Siriri will present an upbeat multi-media program sharing the latest news of the joint Abayudaya/Kulanu sustainable development mitzvah projects working to help this struggling African Jewish community. He also will discuss how the crisis in Kenya is adversely affecting these projects in Uganda.
He will update audiences on the Kulanu-supported Abayudaya primary and high schools, feeding and educating 500 Jewish, Muslim and Christian children studying together in peace. Mr. Siriri will report on the child hunger project; public health education and women’s empowerment programs; on-going classroom, dorm and school kitchen construction; as well as the village micro-finance, crafts, music CD, coffee, dried fruit and eco-tourism self-help projects.
Audiences will learn how the Abayudaya and Kulanu are taking a leadership role in bringing diverse tribal and religious communities together through the schools, and through the “Delicious Peace” Mirembe Kawomera fair trade organic coffee project, involving more than 750 farmers of all three faiths working together.
A construction engineer by profession, Israel Siriri has helped design and directly supervised the many public works projects the community has accomplished with Kulanu’s help. These include the installation of water catchment tanks in every village and the first running water well in the community; construction of new classrooms, dormitories, latrines, a guesthouse, a science lab and working showers for the schools; as well as bringing the first electricity to the main village center at Nabagoye Hill.
The educational program will be age-appropriate for all and can include a slide presentation and recorded African Jewish music. When appropriate, a CD of Abayudaya music and hand-crafted kippot will be sold in conjunction with the presentation.
What is required of host locations?
- An honorarium of $1,000 per event plus sharing in the in-country travel expenses.
- A main contact to be responsible for the speaker while he is in your city plus a second contact to manage the product sales.
- Accommodations and meals for the speaker (home hospitality is great!). Israel keeps kosher and is shomer Shabbat.
If you would like to host the speaker, what should you do next?
- Look at the Events Calendar and choose one or more open dates.
- Be in touch with Susan Schorr, Kulanu’s speaker tour coordinator at speakers @ kulanu.org, letting her know of your interest and the possible dates.
If you would like more information,
- About Kulanu, visit www.kulanu.org.
- About the Abayudaya, visit www.kulanu.org/abayudaya.
- About Abayudaya products, visit www.kulanuboutique.com.
We also are interested in identifying community leaders who might help us schedule events at several synagogues or organizations in a local area over a two- or three-day period. Please let us know if you could help us in this way.
This is an opportunity to perform a very special multilayered mitzvah—educating your community about the Abayudaya, helping the Abayudaya form relationships with the wider Jewish community and providing support for the educational, economic and spiritual growth of the Abayudaya.
We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to forward this letter to any colleagues who might be interested in hosting Israel Siriri.
Best wishes,
Susan Schorr
Kulanu Inc.
speakers @ kulanu.org or 646-957-7000
165 West End Ave., 3R
New York, NY 10023
U.S.A.