Cochlear Implant Film Nominated
    "Sound and Fury", a $800,000 documentary that took four years to produce, according to CNN Financial News, has been nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar. This program "examines the debate within the deaf world about a controversial medical device that can help hear ing improve drastically". Having played at two dozen film festivals including Sundance, it has already won a number of awards not to mention exposure on `Dateline NBC', 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show' and 'Good Morning America'.

Holmes To Chair Accessibility Committee
    At its March board meeting, the 25-member Access Board, a coordinating body among federal agencies with half of its members representing federal departments and the other half appointed by the President to representing the community in four-year terms elected Pamela Holmes to be its chair. Holmes, who had been appointed to the Board in 1994 by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, is director of consumer and regulatory affairs at Ultratec, Inc. in Madison, WI. According to a statement issued by the Access Board, Holmes was reappointed to a second term in 1997 and during her tenure on the Board, has played a lead role in the Board's development of accessibility requirements for telecommunications equipment and Federal electronic and information technology. She also chaired the Board's Technical Programs Committee for three years. The Access Board as an independent federal agency develops and maintains accessibility guide lines and standards for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment and Federal electronic and information technology. It also provides technical assistance and training on its design criteria and enforces access standards that cover federally funded facilities.

JDRC Coordinates Jewish Liturgy
    The Jewish Deaf Resource Center, Inc. (JDRC) hosted Jewish Liturgy Hevrutah in ASL, Part Two on Sunday April 29th at Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun in New York City. Marla C. Berkowitz and Naomi J. Brunnlehrman coordinated the study of Jewish texts. JDRC can be contacted at JDRC501C30aol.com, 212/396-9672 TTY or 212/585-3841 Voice.

Deaf Man Sues Los Angeles Police
    Personal experience by Sanford Diamond, 72, is mentioned in a class-action case pending in federal court accusing the Los Angeles Police Department of "battery, false arrest, negligence and violating his civil rights and laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act." For 72 years, I have respected the police", Diamond states, "I've never had any trouble. I've been a good citizen." In October 1999, Diamond was involved in a scuffle with another motorist in a parking lot in Granada Hills, CA. Police arrived and found Diamond bleeding from a cut on his forehead. They determined that he had started the fight - a charge that Diamond denies - and apparently would not communicate with Diamond. "Somebody was trying to blame me for a fight... I went up to gesture to the police, and they told me to wait on the sidewalk". Police described Diamond and his friend, who is also deaf, as "belligerent and uncooperative". They claimed Diamond ignored their warnings to stay on the sidewalk and instead approached officers as they continued their questioning... they said after escorting Diamond back to the curb he became so agitated that they had to restrain him with a wrist hold and then with handcuffs. Diamond subsequently was arrested on suspicion of interfering with police. Diamond explains that police simply was not interested in his side of the story and he tried to convince his friend to leave. At the time of his arrest, and also at the police station, Diamond was not informed by police why he was being arrested nor informed of his Miranda rights He also was continually frustrated by police officers' either ignoring his efforts to communicate or pretending they understood when they didn't. Diamond is requesting an apology and $5,850 for a new set of teeth.

New York Deaf Theater Focuses On School
    The New York Deaf theater is adapting a play based on 'Remembrance of an Alumni Reunion', which is about former students of a school for the deaf being reunited after twenty years. Among the performers are Cindy Aponte, Sarah Bisman, Dave Bowell, Whitney Chesse, Svetlana Ganapolskaya, Sean Gerlis, Jamie Greco, Lou Labriola, Michael P. Ralph, and Barry R. Segal. Open to both Deaf and hearing audiences, opening night takes place on May 31dat The New Perspective Theatre in New York City through May 20th. For information, call 718/398-5227 TTY or e-mail to NYDT@ juno.com

Usher Syndrome Research
    Mount Sinai in New York has put out a notice to individuals and families with Usher Syndrome or combined hearing and vision loss. They are doing a study on genes that cause Usher Syndrome (hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa) in Ashenazi Jews. For information, contact Dr. Ness or Dr. Willner at 212/241-6947 Voice or e-mail to rtesss0l@doc.mssm.edu

Shabbat Services In Belmont Interpreted
    Rabbi Jonathan Kraus has announced that Rebekah Barkowitz will interpret Friday Shabbat evening services at Beth El in Belmont, MA on June 81". Beth El is located on the corner of Concord Avenue and Blanchard Road approximately two miles from Harvard Square and is on a bus route. For information, contact Rabbi Kraus rkraus@world.std.com

Service In Massachusetts Interpreted
    Sandy Slavet announces that Temple Beth David in Canton, MA will have interpreted services on the first Friday of every month at 7.30 pm. This is a Family Service and especially great for families with young children. Everyone is welcome! The temple is located near route 128 (95) or route 3 (93) at 1060 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021. Slavet can be reached at sslavet@aol.com

Temple Beth Solomon Updates
    Elections for the board term 2001-2003 will take place on June 10th after brunch and annual awards ceremony at 10:30 am. For more info, contact Jan Seeley at jsee2@aol.com We have been asked to pass along word that Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf in California now has a new website address at http://www.tbsdeafjewish.org

Philadelphia Sisterhood Celebration
    The Sisterhood of Philadelphia Hebrew Association of the Deaf celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Luncheon at Brook Side Manor in Feasterville, PA chaired by Rachel Alburger. A total of 97 members and friends attended the sit down luncheon. Among the program was a presentation on "Thinking about our Future and Old Age" by Marla C. Berkowitz of the Jewish Deaf Resource Center, Inc. in New York City. Sisterhood President Barbara Kass presented a Star of David pendant to Clara Wahrhaftig for her long-time support to the Sisterhood.

Actress Shows Her Signing Skills In Film
    Actress Camryn Manheim, who is Jewish and was former sign language interpreter in New York City, was interviewed bythe Associated Press recently during Manheim's lunch break from production of ABC-TV's 'The Practice' at Manhattan Beach Studios where she plays the role of attorney Ellenor Frutt. She was enthusiastic in talking about her latest movie "Kiss My Act", airing Monday, April 23rd in which she plays as bartender Samantha Berger at a comedy club in this classic Cyrano de Bergerac tale. During the film in which Manheim also served as producer, she used the opportunity to show her knowledge of motorcycles and also her sign language skills as she communicates with her friend, Oscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin who plays Berger's pregnant best friend. "It's not just a little movie of the week to me", she says, "This is a very, very important project and I need my fans to watch it so I can bring them more interesting story lines they may not otherwise get if there aren't women like me producing them." Manheim, 40, who grew up as "a hippie from Santa Cruz, Calif.", is a single mom, having given birth to a baby boy, Milo on March 6th and takes him wherever she works.

Adult Jewish Group Organizes Services
    Manhattan's Young Adult Jewish Deaf has been working with Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun (BJ) to provide spiritual services interpreted in American Sign Language Friday evenings 6 to 7.15 pm and Saturday mornings from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm during January and February. A special event, a Shabbat Dinner and Lecture is also part of the plans. For more information, contact Marla Berkowitz, 215 East 77th St. #4B, New York, NY 10021, fax 212-452 2766 or e-mail MCBNYC@AOL.COM

Upcoming ABC-TV Show To Cover Cochlear Implants
    The Silent News publication has put out word that three episodes of ABC-TV's 'Gideon's Crossing', a medical related show, will feature deaf actresses Marlee Matlin and Becki Leigh Barnet' and actors Larry Bazzell and Jonathan Kovacs with storylines involving a fourteen year old deaf girl who wants a cochlear implant despite her deaf parents' opposition. The first show aired January 29th.

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