What: A History of the Portuguese American Citizenship Project by Mr. James Martin McGlinchey, founding coordinator of the Project
Where: Prince Henry Society Reading Room at the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, Claire T. Carney Library
When: Thursday, February 17th 12:30 – 1:30 P.M.

Mr. McGlinchey holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.  He was a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State from 1975 to 1999, during which time he served for several years in Portugal.  From 1999 to 2009, he coordinated the Portuguese American Citizenship Project.

In his presentation, Mr. McGlinchey will rely on his ten years of experience in grass-roots political organizing among Portuguese-American communities in five states to provide an historical overview of the project.

He will speak of the role played by the Luso American Foundation in the design and funding of the initiative and discuss the Project’s successes and shortcomings during its first 10 years of activity.  He will also explain the need for future funding from the Portuguese American community, in light of ongoing commitments from the Luso American Foundation and, more recently, the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives are a joint collaboration between the Centre for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Claire T. Carney Library.

The entrance to the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives is located on the campus side of the Claire T. Carney Library.  For access during library construction as you approach from Lot 13, enter the library basement and proceed to the first floor, exit the building, and proceed to the right to the Archives entrance.

For further information, contact 508-999-8684 or email spacheco@umassd.edu.

What: The Future of American Jewry: Presentation and discussion with Dr. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz
Where: Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives @ the UMassD Claire T. Carney Library
When: Monday, February 14 from 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Admission: Free

Refreshments will be served.

Dr. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz will consider various assessments of the
prospects of American Jewry in terms of its population, size, cultural
continuity and distinctiveness, organizational structure and social
networks, economic and political status, and connections to Israel.

Are American Jews assimilating, undergoing transformation, or become more
polarized? Does any one characterization apply to all American Jewry, or do
segments of the American Jewish population show very different patterns now
and potentially different projections into the future? What do non-Jews
think and feel about Jews, and how does that affect the Jewish future?

A question and answer period will follow the presentation.

Sponsored by the Center for Jewish Cutlure
Contact: Rabbi Jacqueline Satlow
jsatlow@umassd.edu
508-910-6551