New Jewish school in Croatia

By Vlasta Kovac

ZAGREB, Croatia, Sept. 11 (JTA) — When the Jews of Zagreb celebrate Rosh Hashanah, they will have more than just the new year to celebrate.
They will also have a new Jewish elementary school.

“We shall have great reason for celebration,” Zagreb rabbi Kotel Da-Don said this week as he hammered a mezuzah on the doorpost of the classroom of the city’s new school.

Called the Lea Deutsch school after a Jewish girl who was killed during the Holocaust, the institution is the first Jewish school to open in the former Yugoslavia since World War II.

On the first day of school this week, the first nine pupils — not all of them Jewish — sat in a semicircle in the middle of the classroom. The handful of first-graders came to the school with their teachers and several guests, who included former students of the prewar Jewish school.

The president of the community, Ognjen Kraus, expressed special thanks to the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation for its financial help in getting the school started.

The Zagreb Jewish community has given the school space in a building of the former Zagreb Chief Rabbinate, which was returned recently to the community by the Croatian government. The school is starting only with the first grade — which will have 11 students — but eventually it should have all eight grades

Hebrew and Judaism will be obligatory parts of the curriculum, but parents may decide whether they want their children to receive religious instruction.

“I wish the school will have the reputation of a creative and innovative school, and that parents will inscribe their children in this school not only because it is a Jewish school, but because of the quality of education,” Nadia Geras, a mother of one of the pupils, told JTA.

The Jewish Elementary School in Croatia operated from 1841 until 1941, when the Holocaust began in Croatia. It never reopened.

The Zagreb community has about 1,500 members. Many of the children are the products of mixed marriages, and most of the children in the new Jewish school have only one Jewish grandparent. A few are the children of Israelis living in Croatia.

Š JTA. Reproduction of material without written permission is strictly prohibited.

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13190&intcategoryid=2

Dive Franetovic performs in St.Louis

Friday October 24
Renowned Croatian flutist Dive Franetovic will be performing at the First Divine Church of St. Louis at 3617 Wyoming, near Grand. Performance is scheduled to start between 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10. She will be performing songs by Croatian composers. For more information please contact up is Jeanine M. York-Garesche at garesche@juno.com .

CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.

Croatian Mariachi in Guadalajara

Posted on Sun, Sep. 14, 2003

Mariachi mania is drawing wannabes from around world

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - (AP) -- It's not easy to be a mariachi -- at least not if you're from Japan or Croatia.

About 434 musicians from around the world gathered in Mexico's mariachi heartland last week to learn to walk the walk, to talk the talk -- and, please, to forget the accordions.

Every year, some of the finest mariachi musicians give classes and tips to foreigners as well as locals trying to master one of the most Mexican of musical genres.

''We want our mariachi to be closer to those here, to where the mariachi was born,'' said Hidejiro Mimura of the Japanese group Amigo Nippon.

''We still lack a lot -- the rhythms, the words, and singing in Spanish is difficult for us, but we are doing it,'' he added.

The groups get a chance to play publicly in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-most-populous city, which takes pride in its image as a center of mariachi music -- a place where bands in elaborate charro cowboy get-ups stroll the Plaza de los Mariachis offering their songs to visitors.

Most groups include five to 10 musicians playing stringed instruments and trumpets, though the size of the groups can vary widely.

Instructors at the yearly workshops teach traditional Mexican songs as well as some of the finer points, such as mastering a Mexican accent if you don't speak Spanish.

''They have even taught us how to stand because it's not only playing but expressing to the listeners how elegant it is to form a line, whether it's curved or straight,'' said Aristides Lapuglia of Panama's Mariachi Corazon de America.

Past visitors have included groups from Croatia, Italy and Australia. Most this year are from the Americas, though even Spanish-speaking visitors can offend the purists.

''A lot of Latin American mariachis come to us using the accordion or flute,'' complained Cesar Carrillo Valle, the event coordinator.

Sometimes local variations on a common language can get you into trouble too, noted Andres Gonzalez Lazo, a singer with the Nuevo Mariachi de Tecalitlan and a teacher.

He recalled that a Venezuelan audience burst into laughter when he sang a traditional Mexican song about a marksman wooing his girlfriend.

He said he was proud that people from other countries come to learn the music even if, like those from Japan, ``it is harder for them. They don't understand Spanish but they do it perfectly, even if they don't know what they are saying.''


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6763144.htm

Another top notch London Croatian event! Don't miss it!

Brian

Dear all,

This is a reminder about the dinner at 'El Barco
Latino' on Saturday, 20 Sep 2003. The list is
getting longer and if you want to ensure your
place and avoid disappointment, email us asap.
We have only a few days to complete and send the
list to the restaurant.

Regards!


----------
Dear all,

The CSYPN Committee has arranged another Saturday
evening event - but this won't be on solid ground.
(But you won't be going to Colombia, just kidding!)

We're taking over the River Thames floating
bar/restaurant boat, EL BARCO LATINO, from
7pm to 2am (or longer). The boat has a dance
floor, which needs to be used.

This is going to be a great opportunity for us to
open a new season, to catch up after summer
holidays, and also welcome all new students
from Croatia.

Our dinners have always been great successes - the
last one at Patio had almost 90 attendees. We are
confident it will be the same this time around. An
exclusive use of the boat for the night (provided
we have 70 guests), a selection from tapas menu,
a dance floor, great music and a great company will
ensure great time. Furthermore, quite reasonable
price will help.

Can you please RSVP by Saturday, 13 September 2003
on elbarco@csypn.org.uk , so your name can be added
to the guest list. Please note that seats need to
be secured by booking in advance and no walk/ins on
the night will be accommodated. The fee for the
dinner will be taken at the doors in advance.
Please try to have the correct monies. Prices are
Ł10 for CSYPN members and Ł15 for non-members.

El Barco Latino is moored quite close to Temple
Tube station, not far from part of King's College.
So it's on the District and Circle Line and if
you've got the local geography sorted out in your
mind, that's north of the river.

-----
When: Saturday, 20 September 2003, 7.00pm
Where: El Barco Latino
Temple Pier
Victoria Embankment
London WC2R 2PP
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531065&Y=180778&A=Y&Z=1
Tubes: Temple
RSVP: by Saturday, 13 September on
elbarco@csypn.org.uk
Tickets: Ł10 - CSYPN members, Ł15 - non-members
-----

Kind regards,
CSYPN Committee

Nagrada Svjetskog samita o informacijskom drustvu
Fokus na sadrzaju, a ne na tehnologiji

Postovani,

WSA - Nagrada Svjetskog samita je sluzbeni event Svjetskog samita o informacijskom drustvu koji se odrzava u Genevi u prosincu 2003. godine. WSA se razlikuje od slicnih inicijativa time sto joj je osnovni fokus na sadrzaju, a ne na tehnologiji.

Izmedu 379 eminentnih strucnjaka iz 134 zemalja, predsjednik Internet Instituta, gospodin Kresimir Lugaric, odabran je za clana Strucnog panela Svjetskog samita kao ekskluzivni predstavnik za Hrvatsku. Kao clan panela on ima cast i duznost nominirati osam hrvatskih originalnih proizvoda ili projekata, za koje smatra da predstavljaju primjere najbolje prakse u podrucju e-sadrzaja, multimedija i kreativnosti. Najbolje od nominiranih proizvoda/projekata odabrati će Veliki ziri tijekom listopada 2003, a odabrani proizvodi/projekti i njihovi kreatori biti će pozvani na Svjetski samit o informacijskom drustvu [WSIS] Geneva 2003 u okviru projekata WSA Content Villages i WSA Best Practice Showcase Event kako bi predstavili svoje proizvode/projekte.


Obzirom na izuzetnu vaznost ovog natjecaja i nasu odlucnost za nominacijom najboljih od najboljih u Hrvatskoj, obraćamo Vam se s molbom da nam skrenete paznju na proizvode, projekte ili inicijative koji, po Vasem misljenju, predstavljaju primjer najbolje prakse e-sadrzaja u Hrvatskoj.

e-mailom na wsis@hr-gateway.org
online na www.hr-gateway.org
faksom na +385 1 488 9998

Molimo da Vasa informacija sadrzi:

1. Ime proizvoda/projekta/inicijative
2. Autor proizvoda/projekta/inicijativa
3. Kontakt podatke i kontakt osobu
4. Kratki opis

Vise informacija o WSA 2003 procesu i uputama za selekciju mozete naći na stranicama Internet Instituta [ www.hr-gateway.org ], te na sluzbenim stranicama WSA [ www.wsis-award.org  ].

Srdacno,

Natalija Gojkovic
Izvrsna tajnica
Internet institut
[ex CIT Gateway]
e-mail natalija.gojkovic@hr-gateway.org
t +385 1 488 9999
f +385 1 488 9998

Croatian Islands Beckon as Property Market Blooms
 

1 hour, 5 minutes ago

By Zoran Radosavljevic

MURTER ISLAND, Croatia (Reuters) - Now that he is retired, Jadranko Markov spends the days sipping beer at a seaside cafe, thinking how his family's islands might soon earn him a fortune.

Like many other residents of the Croatian island of Murter, Markov, a 63-year-old former lawmaker, owns two islets in the spectacular Kornati archipelago, a state-run national park of 125 privately owned islands.

"Those islands have belonged to my family for generations and I have just re-registered them in my name. Whoever wants to buy them -- two million euros apiece ($2.2 million dollars) and the deal is done," Markov told Reuters.

While trade in old Adriatic houses and villas is on the rise, the sale of whole islands to outsiders was never a serious option. But local officials say times have changed and the first commercial transactions may be close at hand.

Croatia's tourist industry is recovering after a decade of slump caused by the 1991-1995 war that followed independence from communist Yugoslavia. However, the actual property trade is still far from large.

According to data provided by the Foreign Ministry, where non-Croatians must titles to property, around 1,000 houses or building sites were sold to foreigners in the last two years. At least as many were sold to Croatians acting on their behalf.

With tourism back in full swing, under the slogan of "The Mediterranean as it once was," German and British newspapers and television channels are advertising Croatia's beauty, political stability and available real estate.

"Our standards are rising, infrastructure is improving, Croatia is moving toward the European Union (news - web sites), tourism is coming back. Interest in our property, as well as prices, is constantly rising," said Niksa Kljenak of Globus real estate agency.

As an indication of interest, Ivica Vulic of Broker estate agents, based in the central Adriatic city of Split, said his Web site was getting 5,000 visits a day, while he receives up to 100 direct queries, mostly from foreigners.

"Foreigners are attracted by unspoiled nature and a clean sea, the fact that our food is healthy -- given our outdated farming techniques -- and tap water is still drinkable," he said.

THE OLD STONE HOUSE

Under current laws, foreigners, including most European Union and U.S. citizens, can freely buy property in Croatia on the basis of reciprocity between respective countries.

One item going like hot cakes is the old stone house, a trademark of the Adriatic.

"There is huge appetite among foreigners for traditional Dalmatian stone houses on the mainland or in the islands, but there are fewer and fewer of them on the market and the best houses are already gone," said Kljenak.

He said most sales were in the 50,000 to 250,000 euro ($54,090 to 270,400) range, which could buy anything from a building site or an unfinished one-story house to villas with several apartments.

Princess Caroline of Monaco, Formula One auto racing boss Bernie Ecclestone, Britain's Prince Charles and Microsoft head Bill Gates and other jet setters often sail in the Adriatic in the summer. David Bowie and the Sultan of Oman also visited this year. But no big name has bought any property yet.

"There is no serious urban planning, no clear laws on what can be built where. That is not conducive to serious investment and the government has to change it," said Vulic.

ISLANDS AWAIT FIRST SALE

A problem with the sale of islands is that the beach or coastline is public property and must be leased separately from the government.

No islands have been sold yet, but Vulic said he was "in advanced talks on the sale of several islands, the first ever."

The Kornati, scattered in the crystal-clear waters of the central Adriatic, are increasingly popular with yachtsmen seeking to drop anchor at sites with nothing but pristine nature anywhere near. Soon they may be a target for property seekers.

"The sale of islands is inevitable as demand grows, and the least we can do is lay down the rules for all, owners, buyers, government, national park management," said Ante Markov, member of parliament and of the ruling coalition, in power since 2000.

So will Croatia preserve the old ways or become the next Tuscany or Cote d'Azur?

"We don't know, but what we do know is that we don't want the 'Spanish scenario', where foreigners bought everything and now it's all artificial and mass tourism," said Markov. "There have to be clear rules on what and how much can be sold."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030914/lf_nm/croatia_islands_dc_1

Tennis player IVO KARLOVIC 6'10" at the 2003 US Open tennis tournament with Katarina Tepesh.

Photo by Andrzej Kentla, Sports Photographer

FROM CONGRESSMAN DENNIS J. KUCINICH

PS. After President Bush requested $87 billion more for war and
occupation, peace advocate, ice cream entrepreneur and Kucinich
supporter Ben Cohen explained what America could get for that
amount of money: We could solve the school budget
crisis in every community in America. Or we could provide health
insurance for every uninsured American child for 15 years. Or
we could feed all 6 million children who die from hunger worldwide
for the next 7 years.
 

from: info@kucinich.us
to: letters@croatianworld.net

Dear Friend,

Many of you first heard about me as I led opposition to the Iraq war in
the U.S. House of Representatives. Or after I'd launched my
presidential campaign and surprised the cynics with a strong showing in
the MoveOn primary. I thank you for supporting my efforts.

I need your help again.

I am asking you to join with me in celebrating the International Day of
Peace on September 21st by participating in our Peace Day House Party
Campaign.

On the International Day of Peace, as designated by the United Nations,
millions of people will come together with the common aspiration of
creating a world based on a peaceful, just and sustainable future.

I ask each one of you on that incredible day to join with others who
share the vision of our presidential campaign.

Of an America that once again will be the light of nations.

Of an America that will lead the world toward peace, not to the specter
of war without end.

Of an America that stands not in pursuit of an axis of evil, but which
is itself at the axis of hope and peace and freedom.

To be part of our Peace Day House Party campaign, click here:
http://www.kucinich.us/houseparty.htm

This is a critical time in our campaign. When we file our fundraising
report on September 30, the pundits and so-called "experts" will once
again be looking for an excuse to dismiss us. While our message of
peace and justice continues to draw thousands in state after state, the
pundits only measure success in dollars and cents.

Let's prove them wrong.

We will never match the more corporate-friendly candidates in
fundraising. But there is power beyond imagining in our common purpose.
That is why your participation is so crucial, whether your house party
can raise $100 or $1,000, or whether 2 people or 200 gather at your
party. Because when thousands of us act together, we will change the
outcome of this election.

There are 13 days until the International Day of Peace. Invite your
friends and neighbors to your party. All of us, together, will make our
Peace Day campaign a powerful statement for a new America.

Now is a great time to contribute to our campaign for peace, economic
justice, equality and sustainability:
https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php 

Sincerely,

Dennis

PS. Please check out our website at http://www.kucinich.us  and forward
this email to others.



Big Week for Kucinich


info@kucinich.us

Dear Kucinich Supporter,

Thanks to you, we're on a roll.

Our Peace Day House Parties are taking off (see below) and last
Thursday, thousands of Kucinich supporters gathered in MEETUPS in more
than 200 cities and towns across the country to organize local groups
and campus chapters. As a Boston volunteer wrote: "They just keep
getting bigger and better." A Minneapolis activist commented: "It's
empowering to know there are other motivated Kucinich supporters out
there who can believe in a politics outside the corporate media."

In that night's nationally-televised DEBATE in Albuquerque, Dennis won
big applause when he distinguished himself from other candidates on
issues like the bloated military budget, corporate trade treaties, and
getting the U.S. out of Iraq with "no more Halliburton sweetheart deals."

Dennis' barb aimed at Gov. Dean was widely quoted in the media: "You
can talk about balancing the budget in Vermont, but Vermont doesn't
have a military. And if you're not going to cut the military, then what
are you going to do about social spending?"

On a Sunday TV politics show, one of the pundits made this observation:
"Who's Howard Dean really worried about? I think he's worried about
Dennis Kucinich taking off left and populist votes in Iowa in the
caucuses."

On Sunday night, Dennis issued a POWERFUL REBUTTAL to the Bush speech:
"The President has been unable to produce evidence that this war was
fought over weapons of mass destruction. It is not too late for him to
prove that it was not fought over oil. That can be done by returning
control of the oil to the Iraqi people." (At the United Nations
yesterday, Dennis reiterated these points at a news conference with
receptive journalists.)

And finally, in just a few days after Dennis issued his call for
supporters to celebrate the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE -- Sept. 21 --
by holding fundraising house parties, 290 people have already pledged
to hold Peace Day parties in support of the Kucinich campaign. To join
the Peace Day House Party movement, click here:
http://www.kucinich.us/houseparty.htm

If you can't participate in a Peace Day party, you can help the
campaign by making a GENEROUS DONATION:
https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php

And don't miss TONIGHT'S DEBATE, sponsored by the Congressional Black
Caucus, on Fox News Channel (no joke!) at 8-9:30pm Eastern.

Thanks again for your support.

Jeff Cohen
http://kucinich.us

PS. After President Bush requested $87 billion more for war and
occupation, peace advocate, ice cream entrepreneur and Kucinich
supporter BEN COHEN (no relation) explained what America could
get for that amount of money: We could solve the school budget
crisis in every community in America. Or we could provide health
insurance for every uninsured American child for 15 years. Or
we could feed all 6 million children who die from hunger worldwide
for the next 7 years.

Za svaki narod istovjetna prava u oblasti obrazovanja i skolstva

Dragi prijatelji,

U tijeku je reforma obrazovnog sustava u Bosni i Hercegovini koju provode medjunarodne institucuje OSCE i OHR. Pomozite lobirajuci za prava Hrvata u Bosni i Hercegovini !

- Zelimo obrazovni sustav u kojem ce biti moguce hrvatskim jezikom i govoriti i slusati ga od prvog razreda osnovne skole pa do sveucilisne razine.

- Zelimo da svaki narod u BiH ostvari istovjetna prava u oblasti obrazovanja i skolstva.

- Zatra¾ite od predstavnika medjunarodne zajednice koji djeluju u Bosni i Hercegovini da, sukladno Ustavu BiH, konvencijama UNESCO-a, te prirodnom i neotudjivom pravu svakog naroda da kroz obrazovne institucije cuva i njeguje vlastiti jezik i kulturu, omoguce Hrvatima u BiH izgradnju sustava obrazovnih institucija na hrvatskom jeziku.

Josip Merdzo

Molimo Vas da svoja pisma potpore uputite e-mailom ili faxom slijedecim organizacijama i pojedincima:


OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Head of Mission
Ambassador Robert M. Beecroft

Obala Kulina Bana 19, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Fax: +387 33 442 479

info@oscebih.org
urdurg@oscebih.org
richardm@oscebih.org
__________________________________________________________

OHR, Office of the High Representative
High Representative
Paddy Ashdown

Emerika Bluma 1, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Fax: +387 33 283 550
Fax: +387 33 283 501

ian.patrick@ohr.int
claude.kieffer@ohr.int

Air Bosna Faces Grounding

8 September 2003

"If Air Bosna is grounded, it is expected that national airlines from neighboring countries, Croatia Airlines in particular, will be the main benefactors, taking over most of Air Bosna’s flights and customers. "

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina--After spending the past two weeks making desperate appeals for funding and warning customers that their flights may be cancelled with no refund, the managers of Bosnia’s state-run airline company, Air Bosna, say collapse is imminent.

The company’s total debts are estimated between $6 million and $7 million--$2.5 million of which must be paid immediately.

Air Bosna’s insolvency is not a result of the downward trends that have plagued the industry following the 11 September terrorist attacks. Experts and officials across the board say that Air Bosna is being grounded because of poor management that has changed hands at least five times since the airline’s inception in 1994.

“So far we are still flying, but we can’t say until when,” said Air Bosna Director Mustafa Eminefendic on 6 September. The airline’s debts are sizable and rapidly growing and the company has no interest in continuing operations, he said.

Air Bosna owes large sums of money to Elmo Aviation--from which it rents planes--various insurance companies and fuel distributors, and Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation. The airline also owes some $250,000 to the Cedar catering company.

To keep its planes in the air for the next month alone, Air Bosna would need a financial injection of at least $1 million.

“[The debtors] are willing to wait for total payment, but we have to give them something,” said Eminefendic, who has appealed to the founders of Air Bosna--the government of the Federation entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Energoinvest company--for funds to keep the airline operational.

According to statements from government officials and Energoinvest representatives, however, further funding is out of the question.

Energoinvest General Manager Dzemail Vlahovljak told the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje on 5 September that the company has no interest in investing in Air Bosna.

“Air Bosna is like a dead baby. Its managers failed to increase the capital we gave them. The management of Air Bosna must explain how it spent $1.5 million of the money we invested,” Vlahovljak said.

HOVERING ABOVE THE GRAVE

In the worst-case scenario, should Air Bosna continue flying, Eurocontrol will likely forbid its planes to fly over European Union countries, and unpaid debts to insurance companies will likely keep the planes from leaving the runway.

“I would like to shut down the company right now to put an end to this agony. But that decision is not mine,” Eminefendic said. “The founders [of Air Bosna] have to make that decision, but they are purposely delaying the process, as if they want to completely disgrace us so that in the end, all the blame falls on the managers. Since they founded the airline, they haven’t invested any money in it,” he said.

Eminefendic said that the situation in which Air Bosna now finds itself is the result of many things, but the gravest problem has been the debts the airline inherited from the former management.

“It’s a shame that we have to shut down the company in a year in which we made the most profits,” Eminefendic said. “We succeeded in cutting debts by $2.5 million and we had three times more passengers than in the past. We still have $2.5 million to pay back. Bills are constantly coming in, and we can’t get control over them,” he said.

Air Bosna management is also expecting severe problems with regard to the tickets they have already sold for flights that are likely to be grounded.

Senka Piric, the manager of Air Bosna’s ticketing agency, told TOL that telephones have been ringing off the hook with concerned customers, most from the United States and Scandinavia, asking about refunds.

“All we can do is to ask them to be patient,” Piric said.

The airline has sold some 3,500 tickets for those future flights, but says that money for those tickets won’t be refunded. “Because of our commitment to pay old debts, we are unable to refund ticket money or even to transfer the tickets to other airline companies,” Eminefendic said.

The Air Bosna director said that the responsibility for covering ticket payments should lie with the company’s founders, the Federation government and Energoinvest.

RENT-A-PILOT

If Air Bosna is grounded, 110 workers will lose their jobs. Air Bosna employees haven’t been paid for six months, and the company owes them a total of $300,000.

Since its founding, Air Bosna has had serious problems with staffing, equipment, and maintenance. During the nine years of its operation, the airline has managed to train just four pilots at a cost of $150,000. Those pilots were trained to fly only two planes--both of them leased. When those planes broke down and the company could not afford to have them serviced, the pilots were laid off indefinitely or transferred to desk jobs.

Air Bosna has only hired foreign pilots and flight attendants on temporary contracts, as it can ill afford to train Bosnians to fly the new, rented planes that replaced the older ones. As such, all of the airline’s crew has come from Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro.

“According to the politics of the former management, it was easier to rent planes than to buy them,” Eminefendic said. “But the amount of money spent on renting planes and constant repairs and other expenses could have been used to buy two new planes.”

This year Air Bosna has flown two planes, one rented and one finally belonging to the airline. In addition, the airline managed to expand its flights to include three times as many destinations than last year, mostly in Western Europe and Turkey.

If Air Bosna is grounded, it is expected that national airlines from neighboring countries, Croatia Airlines in particular, will be the main benefactors, taking over most of Air Bosna’s flights and customers.

--by Anes Alic

Copyright © 2003 Transitions Online. All rights reserved.