German Jewish emigrant to keynote symposium

"Jewish Culture - Western Civilization - And Beyond" is the theme for Old Dominion's Fifth Annual International Symposium April 6-9.

The symposium will feature a sweeping, four-day multifaceted mosaic in which more than 40 scholars and writers from the United States and Europe will represent and reflect on the many contributions Jewish culture has made to Western civilization, ranging from Ancient Babylon to modern Hollywood.

Guy Stern of Wayne State University will deliver the keynote address, "Growing Up Jewish in Weimar Germany: A Personal Kaleidoscope," at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at Temple Ohef Sholom, 530 Raleigh Ave., Norfolk.

A former American intelligence officer who was part of the invasion of Normandy and was instrumental in identifying and interrogating several war criminals, Stern lost all his family in the Holocaust. He became an American professor of German literature and dedicated himself to the daunting task of reconnecting with post-World War II Germany.

Other presentations of note include:

-Saturday, April 6 - a screening of the film, "The Nasty Girl," at 8 p.m. in the Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building. Anna Rosmus, the real-life model for the film, will be in attendance.

-Sunday, April 7 - a reading of "The Tattooed Man Tells All" by Peter Wortman, son of Austrian Jewish refugees, and scholar and author of this concentration camp drama, at 9 a.m. in Room 104 of the Batten Arts and Letters Building.

-Monday, April 8 - "Bearing Witness: Surviving the Holocaust," testimonials from Kitty Saks and David Katz, two Holocaust survivors representing the Holocaust Commission of the Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at 3 p.m. in the Burgess Room of the Batten Arts and Letters Building.

-Monday, April 8 - a musical performance by The Frailache Klezmer Band at 8 p.m. in the south cafeteria of Webb Center.

Organized by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures with sponsorship from the Tidewater Jewish Foundation Inc., the symposium is free and open to the public.

For a complete schedule of speakers call 683-3973 or visit the Web site www.odu.edu/al/lang.