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African Jews
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Business World Index
---Former Celtic great to be inducted into the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in Harlem, NY, August 16--- The African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to honoring black and other ethnic sports legends, will induct former Boston Celtic great Jo Jo White along with seven others at The Adam Clayton Powell State Building on Saturday, August 16, 2008. Born November 16, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri, Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White started his distinguished basketball career playing at the University of Kansas. The highlight of those years was the double overtime thriller in the 1966 Midwest Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament against University of Texas at El Paso, then known as Texas Western. Although Texas went on to win the championship, and the exciting matchup against Kansas was depicted in the 2006 Disney film Glory Road. Dale Caldwell, who is the President of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Eastern Section, will be honored by the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame with its Outstanding Leadership Award. The complete list of inductees and other honors can be viewed at www.afrosportshall.com. This event will allow us to recapture, remember and honor some of the greatest athletes ever who have become living legends, and you are invited to witness the induction of the class of 2008 and help make dreams come true for our academic achievers. "These athletes have a rich history worth telling, one that reflects commitment, determination and dignity, "said Arif Khatib, President. Tickets can be purchased online at www.afrosportshall.com. For further information contact, contact Arif Khatib at afrosportshall@aol.com / 510-508-3309.
---JET features Rev. Run” Simmons and wife Justine---
Rap pioneer Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and wife Justine have a reason to celebrate. In the latest season of MTV’s reality show “Run’s House,” the couple will proudly present the newest addition to the family cast: their adopted 10-month-old daughter Miley. In an interview with Jet magazine, the Simmonses discussed the thrill of becoming adoptive parents nearly one year after their daughter Victoria tragically passed away just hours after being born. The couple also encouraged others who may have trouble conceiving to consider adoption as an option. “There are other women out there who can’t have babies and they keep trying. They get so caught up with 'I gotta have my own.’ If people knew that they would get that same feeling from adoption, I think more [couples] would adopt and not go through the heartache of trying and miscarrying.” (p. 43). This issue hits stands nationwide Monday, July 21.
---Abayudaya Jews led by Rabbi Gershom Sizomu---
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu is the first black rabbi from sub-Saharan Africa to be ordained by an American rabbinic school. He returned home just a few weeks ago to Uganda to lead the local Jewish community, known as the Abayudaya ("people of Judah"). He is opening a school to train rabbis who will serve growing Jewish communities throughout Africa. Recently, over 250 people from Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria formally converted to Judaism in a ceremony held last week in the village of Nabogoye near Mbale, Uganda. They join a community of 800 Abayudaya Jews led by Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, who was recently ordained at American Jewish University, a seminary of Conservative Judaism in Los Angeles, California, through a fellowship from Be'chol Lashon. The ceremony was conducted according to Jewish law. Rabbi Sizomu convened and participated in a religious court (beit din) of Conservative rabbis from the United States that supervised the ritual immersion (mikvah). The converts included men, women and children ranging in age from four to eighty years old, and are mostly rural farmers, but also included small business owners and professionals. "The relationship between God and the Jews in the Torah resonates for many spiritual seekers," said Rabbi Sizomu. "It is important the Africans and others know that they can choose Judaism as a spiritual path – and that we are open to them."
---Law firms and advancing women into leadership roles---
The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) officially released the Report of its National Leadership Summit: Actions for Advancing Women Into Law Firm Leadership at its Annual Awards Luncheon on July 16, 2008 in New York City. "The Report is intended to move law firms from talk to action by providing them with specific actions for advancing women lawyers into leadership positions and for achieving the 'NAWL Challenge' of doubling the percentage of women equity partners from 15% to 30% by 2015," said Lisa Horowitz, President of NAWL. NAWL's 2007 National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms found that in the largest U.S. firms, men hold 84% of equity partnerships, 92% of managing partner positions, and 85% of the seats on firm governing committees. Male equity partners also earn nearly $90,000 more than female equity partners at the nation's top firms.
---30th anniversary of “test tube baby”---
With July 25 marking the thirtieth birthday of the world's first "test-tube baby," Charlotte fertility specialists say that much of the initial worries over the brave new world of in vitro fertilization (IVF) have given way to unforeseen sociological and medical developments that few could have predicted over the last three decades -- accompanied at the same time by the rise of new issues beyond healthcare. "Prior to IVF, infertility care was primarily a surgical specialty related to uterine and tubal surgery for women," said Dr. Jack Crain of Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte. When Louise Joy Brown was born on July 25, 1978 in England, Crain was early in his reproductive medicine career. "Nobody could believe it when the Brown baby was born," Crain said. "Doctors had been trying for years, but there were many technological problems. Fortunately, much of the initial religious concern has been allayed by education and acceptance of the medical benefits of IVF." During the last few decades, advancements in embryology technology and now-routine procedures such as ultrasound have dramatically improved reproductive medicine with higher success rates, Crain said.
---Focus on Latino wineries and wine makers---
AltaMed Health Services hosted its third annual East LA Meets Napa celebration featuring more than 20 Latino owned/managed wineries, Latino wine makers and 20 Los Angeles area Mexican restaurants. The event was attended by more than 1,000 wine and culinary enthusiasts who enjoyed great music, food from some of the best Mexican/Latin restaurants in the city and wonderful conversation in one of Los Angeles' most historic venues -- Union Station. The celebration speaks to a trend among aficionados of Mexican cuisine to choose wine over beer or margaritas to accompany their meal. In 1990 there were just a few Latino-owned vineyards and today there are well over 15 and growing each year.
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