Jewish Deaf Meet in Canada THE Erni TIM '11 13 UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM The Association of Conservative Congregations Cuban Congregation Joins Conservative Movement T he United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) has a new mem- ber: Congregation Casa de la Co- munidad Hebrea de Cuba (Patronato) in Havana. The 100- member synagogue, founded in 1953, is the first Cuban congre- gation to affiliate with the USCJ. "Now that they have joined the United Synagogue, we can help meet their spiritual needs by pro- viding items such as a Sefer Torah, prayer books and holiday materials — translated into Spanish," said Alan Ades, inter- national president of USCJ. The Havana synagogue has no permanent rabbi or cantor. For the past several years, Rabbi Samuel Szteinhandler of Guadalajara, Mexico, has been going to the synagogue every few months to perform events like marriages, circumcisions and conversions. Last December, he officiated at the first bar mitzvah at the synagogue in 35 years. In addition, the rabbi has trained laypeople to teach He- brew and lead the daily services. USCJ is an association of 800 Conservative congregations in North America. or the first time, the Bien- nial Convention of the Na- tional Congress of Jewish Deaf (NCJD) will be held in Canada. The 20th annual event is scheduled for Aug. 7-14 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toron- to and more than 300 are ex- pected to attend. NCJD's only Canadian affil- iate, the 200-member Toronto Jewish Association of the Deaf, is hosting the convention. Program coordinator Karyn Goldstein told the Canadian Jewish News that she would like Jewish people who can hear to attend the convention work- shops so they can learn about deaf Jewish culture. Ms. Gold- stein can be reached at 1-905- 607-2945. A Big Decision omen's Wear Daily reports that Princess Caroline of Monaco is a little on edge these days be- cause her father, Prince Rather, has established many conditions before Caroline can marry Vin- cent Lindon, her lover for the past three years. One stipulation from the prince is that Mr. Lindon, who is Jewish, must turn Catholic. Mr. Lindon isn't a practicing Jew, so it's reported that he doesn't know if he wants to be- come a practicing Catholic. Stay tuned. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks ... T he queen of Denmark couldn't believe it when she received 15,139 thank-you letters from Jewish children to com- memorate the 50th anniversary of the rescue of an estimated 8,000 Danish Jews from the Nazis by the people of Denmark. In a letter to the Union of American He- brew Congregations, Queen Margrethe II — granddaughter of King Christian X, the monarch who led the massive rescue effort — wrote she was "deeply moved" by the let- ters from children of Reform Jewish congre- gations in North America, She said the letters will be deposited in the Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen. The letter-writing campaign was suggest- ed by Judith Meisel of Santa Barbara, Calif. w As a Lithuanian-Jewish child, Ms. Meisel es- = 1-- caped from a concentration camp with her sister after seeing their mother die and they fled to Denmark, where they were hidden and Queen Margrethe II: "Deeply moved." protected by the Danes. 12 Anti-Semitism in Denver. Good News, But ... A new study of anti-Semi- tism in the United States paints a bright picture, but storm clouds remain in the distance. "Among the many intergroup conflicts and hatreds that persist in America, anti-Jewish feelings are not predominant; Jews are not the leading targets of hostil- ity and bigotry. But anti-Semit- ic prejudices still survive and anti-Semitic activities are all too common," concluded Dr. Tom W. Smith, director of the General So- cial Survey at the National Opin- ion Research Center at the Uni- versity of Chicago. Responding to the study, Dr. David Singer, director of research for the American Jewish Corn- mittee, said: "Dr. Smith's analy- sis is especially important because it comes at a time when American Jews have witnessed a spate of painful anti-Semitic episodes. Dr. Smith steps back from the episodic to consider the wider picture. His overall as- sessment is quite positive. Amer- ican Jews should be encouraged by this news." Rabbis Meet With Gov. Cuomo Gov. Cuomo, who had previ- ew York Gov. Mario Cuo- mo met for more than an ously expressed concern about hour with representatives the advertisements, insisted on of the Council of Torah Sages of meeting with the rabbis at Agu- Agudath Israel of America at the dath Israel after receiving their New York City headquarters of invitation for a discussion. Agudath Is- rael. The council is the highest rab- binical body within the Agudath Is- rael move- ment. Last month's meeting was prompted by the Torah Sages' dis- may over what they consider the "proliferation of shockingly indecent ad- vertisements on buses, bus-stop shelters, bill- boards and train stations throughout Gov. Mario Cuomo agrees with rabbis' concerns. the city."