There are currently 38 event entries
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COMING UP - PREŠERNOV DAN CELEBRATION |
 We invite members and friends to join us for an afternoon of community and culture. Slovene language students, taught by Marta Stemberger, will present a short recital, singing Slovene folk songs and reciting Prešeren’s "Zdravljica" (The Toast) and Gregorčič’s "Veseli pastir" (Merry Sheppard). Lenart Krečič will accompany them on keyboard. The afternoon will also include a tasting of Slovenian wines provided by TriWines, as well as variety of appetizers and desserts.
Please RSVP, plus the number of any guests,
by calling or e-mailing SWUA Branch 93 at
(201) 947-6336 or lzalokar@yahoo.com.
Admission is $5.00.
February 6, 2010 at 4pm
The Church of St. Cyril
62 St. Mark's Place (E 8th St.)
New York, NY 10003.
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Fall of 2009 |
Thanks everyone for another fun and successful Slovenian Heritage Weekend held the first weekend in November at the Mohican Outdoor Center in Blairstown, NJ!
Among other things Slovenian Heritage Weekend Getaway included International folk dance workshop, fun with proverbs, klobase (sausage) making demonstration, a Slovenian film (sub-titled in English) and more. This year we also decide on an easier "Mount Triglav at Mohican" hike (a true Slovene has summited Slovenia's highest mountain) and another Slovenian wine tasting/dinner!
Photos coming soon!
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Spring and Summer 2009 |
 Apple Strudel Demo (click here for a larger image)
Spring and summer branch activities offered highlights of Slovenian culinary traditions. We had a strudel making demonstration on March 28th and a potica demonstration on June 6th. More are planned for the fall/winter including gnocchi (light potato dumplings made with baking potatoes, egg yolk, and flour) commonly eaten in Northern Italy but also found in the Primorska region, and gibinica (a layered pastry with various fillings) from the Prekmurje region by the Hungarian border.
Our strudel making demonstration led by Sonja Mosquin (with the help of her daughter Erika Bruno) on Saturday, March 28th was a success! The event was attended by 18 members, friends and guests who enjoyed Sonja’s baking expertise and good humor. Sonja is originally from the Primorska region of Slovenia, specifically Trieste area by the Italian border, reflected in her strudel recipe which includes pignoli (pine) nuts. Thank you to Erika Bruno (Sonja's daughter) for assisting Sonja with the presentation and for all the prep work beforehand. Sonja and Erika arrived with a batch of dough ready to be stretched out, after the apple strudel was prepared and in the oven, Sonja demonstrated how to make the dough. Alenka Ravnik-List also tried her hand at preparing a batch of dough to get a feel for how to do it (with Sonja right next to her for guidance). Thank you to new member Tanja Vajk who offered her photography skills and to Ria (Polajner) Whitmire for bringing the refreshments.
We had a potica demonstration June 6th. Thank you to members, friends and guests who attend. We were happy to have 23 participants! Mia Branch, who caters for all events at the Church of St. Cyril, conducted the workshop and provided samples too! Thank you to Ria (Polajner) Whitmire for her help with the refreshments and set-up/clean-up. Thank you to Tanja Vajk for again lending her photography skills.
A few members independently attended a screening of Pokrajina st. 2 (Landscape No.2), a Slovene feature film which premiered at the Brooklyn International Film Festival on June 14 and won an award for Best Screenplay.
Lynn Zalokar corresponded with Erica Johnson-Debeljak, author of Forbidden Bread, a witty and touching memoir of an East-West romance set in the tumultuous years of post-communist Slovenia, advertised in the Jan/Feb issue of Zarja – The Dawn. The book which was ordered and read by a handful of branch members would lend itself to an interesting book discussion and is on the possible list of upcoming branch events. Read an interview with Erica Johnson Debeljak published in the April 17 newsletter from the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington, DC.
The Slovenian Heritage Weekend at AMC is confirmed for the first weekend in November 6th-8th at the Mohican Outdoor Center in Blairstown, NJ with Lynn and Ria as co-hosts. Last year’s event generated much interest and was a great success and we hope for the same this time as well.
Planning committee continues to meet and welcomes comments and suggestions from all members. Please email us and share your thoughts! | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Slovenian Heritage Weekend - Nov 2008 |
 Slovenian Heritage Weekend (click here for a larger image)
In November members and friends gathered at the
Appalachian Mountain Club's
Mohican Outdoor Center in Blairstown, NJ for a Slovenian Heritage Weekend. It was a great success!
We hope everyone enjoyed reading the article on our event in the Jan/Feb issues of Zarja but in case you missed it the highlights of the weekend were hiking, traditional folk dance workshop, basic Slovene language lessons and kifli (nut butterhorn cookies) making demonstration. There were authentic Slovenian culinary delights, including roast pork loin, potatoes and sauerkraut, tifa, liptavski sir, walnut potica, terragon potica and gibanica. Dinner was preceded by tasting from a selection of both red and white Slovenian wines. Evening entertainment included a choice of piano playing and singing with some of the 'locals' and screening of Vesna (1953), one of the most popular and much loved classic Slovenian films.
Thanks to everyone who participated but especially Lynn and Ria for the original idea and extensive and detailed planning! Thanks also to Mia Branc for the fabulous meal, Mike Dalton and Tanya McCabe of the AMC for all their help in getting the weekend organized, Emil Gaspari of TriWines for his generous donation of Slovenian wines and organic pumpkin seed oil, Alfonz Polajner for making the trip to teach the dances, Maria Skrilec for her gibanica and the samples of her cherries infused with slivovitz!
To view full gallery of photos please visit Branch 93 Picasa web page. For additional photos click here. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Meeting the President and the First Lady of Slovenia |
 SWUA Branch 93 members with
First Lady Barbara Türk and Consul General Alenka Ravnik
and President Danilo Türk
(click here for a larger image)
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Summer 2008 |
 Dinner with Mirjam at Djerdan
Branch 93 members have gathered several times this summer.
There was a nice turnout for A Night in Slovenia, a National Geographic Traveler reception/concert at the end of May in New York's Town Hall. The event was attended by a mix of Slovenians, Slovenian-Americans and those who either know about or were curious about Slovenia. The food and wine stations were beautifully set-up at the Millennium Hotel, as part of the pre-concert wine tasting and food sampling event. The concert featured the best of Slovenia's contemporary music talent in rock, jazz and folk, including an internationally known Slovenian band Laibach.
Ria (Polajner) Whitmire and Lynn Zalokar attended a Slovenian Independence Day event (speakers and luncheon) in Bethlehem, PA in June. Dr. Zvone Žigon, Slovenia's Consul General in Cleveland, spoke at the event and thanked individuals, as well as members of various Slovenian organizations, because we "act as ambassadors on behalf of Slovenia".
Mirjam Hladnik, a former branch 93 member back in Ljubljana, was in Cleveland, OH in June to screen the documentary 100% Slovenian. There were over 200 attendees (a standing room only crowd)! The documentary was first shown in the U.S./NYC in November of 2005 (for details see branch event report "100% Slovenian premiers in New York to rave reviews"). Mirjam visited NYC after Cleveland and a few members/friends met up with her at Djerdan (a Balkans restaurant in Midtown).
Branch 93 members were notified of At the Crossroads: Slovenian Cinema, Slovenian Film Festival in NYC July 16-22. A diverse program of Slovenians films (sub-titled in English), which over the years have become an increasingly familiar presence at international film festivals, offered an opportunity to hear the Slovenian language and to see Slovenia and Slovenians on screen. Members and friends in the area attended the screenings independently.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan was passed among members as part of our books initiative. It's a dazzling novel of war, family, migration, and the search for new beginnings. It's set in Tasmania and is the story of a Slovenian immigrant family after WWII. This book is available at most public libraries, bookstores and online bookstores, but contact Lynn Zalokar if you want to borrow the book. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Spring 2008 |
 Members gather for movie viewing and discussion
It's been a busy spring for Branch 93. Seven members and friends met for afternoon tea at the Washington Square Hotel to celebrate Kulturni Dan (Slovenian Day of Culture) on February 9. In March, a few members hiked with the Appalachian Mountain Club through the Rockefeller Preserve in
Sleepy Hollow, NY.
In April, we resumed our ongoing film series when nine members and friends met to view the 1961 Slovenian movie Ples v dežju (Dance in the Rain). Jacqui Stewart, SWUA member from San Francisco who was visiting New York, also attended the screening and wrote the following review: For me the strongest features of the film "Ples v dežju" are that it is beautifully photographed and that it gives a view into an era that offers fewer and
fewer remaining vestiges. The black and white photography endows the film with a starkness and sense of defenselessness against fate, accentuated by unrelenting rains. The contrast between spare living
accommodations and the lively dining room scenes suggests the marked differences between the loneliness
and congeniality afforded by each. Even the otherwise lavish quarters of an actress take on a bleak feeling
of hopelessness in the last scene.
Ljubljana life in those times revolved around the river. Glimpses of the natural surroundings seem to enliven those few images with a green overlay. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Ongoing Slovenian Film Series |
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Slovenian Film Series - Screening of Šelestenje (Rustling Landscapes) |
Our big event for the spring is a Slovenian film series to be held on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. All of the selected films have Slovenian dialogue along with English sub-titles.
We kicked off the series with a screening of Šelestenje (Rustling Landscapes) on Saturday, March 31. Some found the film moved slowly with a lot of dialogue. Others liked the film very much, "even if the story was typically anti-uplifting." In either case, this film (and the series in general) gives us a great opportunity to hear the Slovenian language and experience a range of different films made in Slovenia with a Slovenian cast and crew. In Šelestenje we had a chance to enjoy some beautiful scenes filmed in Bela Krajina, where most of the movie takes place.
Many thanks to Vesna for arranging and hosting the series. Also, thanks to the Slovenian Consulate in NYC for the films! | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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New York Christmas Revels Show |
 In mid-December a few members attended the New York Christmas Revels Show. Branch member Cynthia Shaw is the show's Music Director. The theme of this year's show was a classic Russian folk tale The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship. The story followed the travels of a simple hero as he soared over Eastern Europe to accomplish the near impossible tasks set forward by the Czar to win the hand of his beautiful daughter. Along the journey the audience was treated to a colorful array of winter solstice customs, folk music, festive dances and costumes of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia , Poland , Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic! Another branch member Carol Doley, who attended the show, later wrote: It was an absolutely lovely afternoon and the audience was filled with many children and their families. All the children were well behaved. You even had an opportunity to win a prize with the purchase of a chance(s). Everyone in the show was so welcoming to the audience. The accordion music reminded me of my grandfather. I just loved the performances of everyone. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Slovenian Menu at New York's Mae Mae Café |
During the second week of December a few branch members and friends visited Mae Mae Café, located at 68 Vandam Street in NYC, and enjoyed a special Slovenian menu. The prix fixe menu, with or without wine, was a creation of chef Vesna Čarman, who owns one of Slovenia's most highly acclaimed gostilinas, or inns, Pri Danilu. The accompanying wines were selected by Emil Gaspari of Slovenian Premium Wines. As the fourth highest per capita consumer of wine, Slovenia exports only 10 percent of its 10 million liter annual production, making these fresh, subtly complex wines a relative rarity in the United States.
First Course:
Kale-wrapped Smoked Trout with Barley and Horseradish in a Watercress Puree
(wine pairing Tilia Chardonnay 2005)
Entrée:
Roasted Wild Boar Medallions with a Cabbage and Potato puree and a Plum Sauce
(wine pairing Santomas Cabernet Sauvignon 2001)
Dessert:
Traditional St. Nicholas Holiday Steamed Roll with Orange Sauce and
Pumpkin Seed Parfait with Pumpkin Seed Oil
(wine pairing Tilia Galileus 2005)
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First Slovene Fashion Show in NYC |
Branch member Natasa Bolce attended first Slovenian Fashion Show in NYC and filed this report:
On the 16th of October Slovenian fashion designer Maja Ferme hosted the first independent fashion show held by any Slovenian designer in New York. Her collection, The Nymph, was displayed in The Midtown Loft on Fifth Avenue. A large group of people, mostly from fashion industry, and many Slovenian friends, gathered at 6 pm to see Ferme’s clothing line. Some magnificently designed dresses from her Spring-Summer 2007 collection were shown to the audience. The clothing line designed by Maja, could be described as ethereal and mystical; the clothing was made from natural materials, such as silk, chiffon, and satin and painted with light water colors.
I had a chance to talk to Maja after the show. She was very tired but full of enthusiasm. The working visit to New York was demanding for this young designer from Velenje. But she said that she loved every minute of her visit and is very excited to be able to have this great opportunity to show her fashion line in this one of a kind city in the world. You can check more about Maja and her Nymph collection on her web page: www.majaferme.com. - Natasa Bolce | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Screening of Rezervni deli (Spare Parts) |
 Several members and friends met in September to say good bye and good luck to Sonja and her husband Hoon who are moving to Seattle. Sonja and Hoon plan to stay connected with the branch and continue their work on our website.
We also watched Slovenian film Rezervni deli (Spare Parts). This is a daring, powerful and provocative film – an uncompromisingly harsh and downbeat social drama – by Slovenian writer-director Damjan Kozole. It takes a cold, realistic look at many facets of modern life, from illegal immigration and industrial pollution to what people are willing to do to get money, and our constant search for love and friendship.
While the film makes no pretenses about what the horrific trade in illegal immigrants involves, in an extraordinarily daring step Kozole invites the viewer to sympathize with one of the smugglers. Without seeking to diminish the evil for which he is responsible, the film makes the lead character a complex, weak, fallible human being and he becomes human and almost likable. By not taking sides, and by refusing to outright demonize characters who in other films would be depicted as villains, the director has rightly implicated all of us in the various ills of society with which the film deals.
As Lynn wrote in our branch report, Slovenian movies offer the chance to hear the Slovenian language, to see Slovenians on screen, to see Slovenian locales, to see films created and produced by Slovenians and to see Slovenian names in the credits. Slovenian films in the U.S. are subtitled in English. Contemporary story lines put us into the present, life as it today for "our cousins" across the ocean. Check your local libraries, Slovenian movies can be found there! We hope to offer the movie Ode to Preseren in February for Kulturni Dan (Slovenia's Culture Day) and to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our branch reorganization. The tentative date is
Sunday, February 5th. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Bojan Gorišek and Milko Lazar at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufmann Center |
A number of members attended a two piano concert performance by two of Slovenia's well celebrated musicians, Bojan Gorišek and Milko Lazar, at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center in New York on June 26th in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Slovene independence. They are one of the rare piano duos in Europe, performing almost exclusively newly composed music for two pianos, including music written by contemporary composers from Slovenia like Milko Lazar and Aldo Kumar, a crossover between contemporary chamber music, improvisation and jazz, often compared to the Kronos Quartet. Many thanks to the Consulate General of Slovenia in New York for organizing and promoting this event and providing complementary tickets.
Milko Lazar is a composer, pianist, harpsichordist, keyboardist and saxophonist, working in the fields of classical and jazz music as a free-lance composer and musician. His latest classical works have been performed with many international ensembles all over Europe and in such prestigious U.S. venues as Carnegie Hall in New York. Mr. Lazar recorded over 40 LPs and CDs with different groups and more then 10 solo projects. For more info click here.
Bojan Gorišek is well known around the world for recording the complete piano opus of Erik Satie for Blaricum Music Group which was rated among the best recordings ever made. Besides performing all over Europe, Mr. Gorišek often plays in the United States, Venezuela, Columbia, and China. In February 2006 he was awarded the Prešeren Foundation Prize, one of Slovenia's highest and most prestigious awards for artistic achievement. For more info click here.
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Recital by Cynthia Shaw Simonoff |
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Easter Egg Dying Event |
 On Sunday, April 9, we met for our much anticipated egg dying event. Five regular members and three guests attended, including Vesna's friend and Sonja's parents who were visitng from out of town. Vesna was kind enough to host this event in her home and Tea yet again displayed her skills while demonstrating a traditional Slovene Easter egg dying technique using herb leaves and red onion skins. We started with a beautiful and fragrant assortment of herbs, including basil, sage, rosemary and parsley, which per Tea's instructions were to be submerged into a bowl of warm water, a number of brown eggs, a bunch of dark red onion skins and a pile of nylon pantyhose. The moistened herbs were applied to the eggs (the water helps the leaves stick to the eggs and form a design pattern), which were then tightly wrapped in pieces of pantyhose, with the ends tied with sewing thread for a secure fit. The challenge was getting the eggs into the pantyhose and tightening the thread without moving the leaves! The onion skins were placed in a large pot of water, with addition of a little bit of vinegar, and brought to a boil. The prepared eggs were carefully placed in the pot. Once cooked, the eggs were removed, drained of excess water, placed in cold water to help them cool, and eventually cut free of the pantyhose revealing beautiful red brown color acquired from the onion skins and a pattern of the herb leaves in the original color of the egg. The final step was polishing the eggs with olive oil which brought out the lovely dark color and contrast of the leaf designs.
We had a wonderful time working on the designs, in spite of the challenge of getting them to come out right in the end (it sounds easier than it actually is!), and chatting while waiting for the eggs to cook. Among other things Vesna pointed out a feature in one of the past issues of Gourmet Magazine on Slovenia and Farm Tourism, which included a few delicious recipes. The article is not available online free of charge but one of the recipes, for Farmer Cheese Dumplings, can be found here. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Scrapbooking Event |
 On Sunday, January 29th we met for a Scrapbooking event. Many thanks to Tea for the great idea and to Vesna for providing our meeting place and refreshments. Tea arranged for Deanne D'Aloia, an independent consultant for Creative Memories, to give us a presentation. Deanne shared her expertise and enthusiasm for scrapbooking. It was quickly apparent that scrapbooking ties in with genealogy research! Deanne explained that photos stashed away in boxes all have stories and those stories need to be documented for anyone else who might look at the photos. We all have photos where we no longer know the names of the people in the photo, the date it what was taken, the location, the occasion, etc. It is important to jot down this information and preserve memories for our own enjoyment and for future generations. But we were told to use a grease pencil on the backs of photos as pen or pencil can ruin photos. We were also told that not every photo is a good photo, so use the good photos in a scrapbook and throw the bad ones away. And a very good reason to scrapbook? Most of us have stored photos in magnetic photo albums, in time the pages yellow and the glue on the pages wears off. The scrapbook pages we were shown are acid-free to last a lifetime. Scrapbooks can be created for new babies, weddings, special occasions and, of course, cherished old family photos.
We were all given catalogs and some orders were placed immediately while others need time to think over the project they want to start and what supplies they will need. We look forward to seeing some of these scrapbooks at future meetings!
Thanks to everyone who attended. Tea and Deanne passed around their scrapbooks so we could see the finished products. This is a creative and personal endeavor, well worth the time and effort. Adrienne brought some lovely old family photos. These photos will make up a nice heritage album. This was the first meeting for new member Emily - welcome! This was the first meeting in awhile for Tanja. She brought our youngest attendee - 9 week old Daniel. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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100% Slovenian premiers in New York to rave reviews |
 On Thursday, November 3 and Saturday, November 5, Branch 93 members and guests had an incredible opportunity to hear two lectures by Dr. Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik preceding the screening of 100% Slovenian (English translation for the original title Američanke). She gave a wonderful presentation outlining various common themes in her extensive body of research precipitating from the study of numerous personal and moving stories of Slovenian women who immigrated to the United States, while also offering insightful analysis and humorous anecdotes on filming of this documentary. The documentary was very well received, and it was a privilege to have Mirjam’s perspective before the screening. In the words of Vesna, Branch 93 President, this event was not only successful but also made us all reflect on our own perceptions of what it means to be Slovenian or of Slovenian descent abroad.
Each lecture was attended by approximately 30 people. Guests ranged from Branch 93 members who were featured in the study and/or documentary, their friends and family members (some of whom came from out of town), to those who might have heard about the event and decided to attend out of curiosity. There were many instances of two and in one case even three generations of Slovenian women (or those of Slovenian descent) in attendance. We were very happy that Bonnie Pohar Prokup, SWUA National Secretary (visiting from Peru, Illinois), and Joe Velenčič, who is very active in studying and preserving Slovenian history and cultural heritage (visiting from Cleveland, OH), attended and spoke during the introductory remarks along with Vesna (Branch 93 President).
Branch 93 would like to thank everyone for coming to the lectures and most of all those who provided considerable help in planning, organizing and making it happen: Vesna for the idea and work on the original grant application that put the wheels in motion for this event and of course for keeping us all on track during the planning and organizing stages; Lynn for the great advertising campaign and collection of contributions; Sonja and Elizabeth for advertising the lectures on the web; Lea, Tea, and Adrienne for distribution of flyers; Ria for providing technical equipment; Marta and Alenka for the mailing campaign and wine donation through the Slovenian Consulate; Verena for including our event on the AP distribution list; Hoon for taking photographs; and of course Mirjam for traveling to New York and delivering two very interesting and inspiring lectures.
Click HERE for gallery
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First reactions to "Američanke" |
On Tuesday, October 18, 2005 documentary film Američanke (American - Slovenian Women) was shown on RTV Slovenia Channel 1. In the days leading to and since the showing, many of our branch members have heard from friends and/or relatives in Slovenia who had either seen the trailers or the film and recognized their names and faces. We also received emails from viewers in Slovenia who had for the first time heard of SWUA. We are all anxiously awaiting the upcoming screening and Mirjam’s lecture in November in New York.
The following is a translation of a description from RTV Slovenija:
AMERIČANKE (American
- Slovenian Women), documentary of the month, Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 9pm on RTV Slo - Script by Mirjam Hladnik Milharčič, directed by Hanna A.W. Slak, production of Rebel LLC and TV Slovenija
This film portrays Slovenian emigrants and Slovenian identity in the United States of America through open and intimate voices of women of different generations of Slovenian Emigrant Communities, who consider themselves “100% American.” What is Slovenian identity – potica, polka, childhood memories, grandmother’s songs, knowing the language, a conscious decision or something else, impossible to put into words? | | Add comment | See comments (3) | |
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Brunch with Mirjam and organizational details for November event |
 On Sunday, September 18, we met for brunch at Vesna’s place to work out final organizational details relating to Mirjam’s lecture in November. It seems that the end of sleepy summer holiday season has once again given a boost to our branch meeting attendance. In addition to the regular attendees (Vesna, Lynn, Tea, Sonja and Ria), we had a few potential new members Lucia (who came with her daughter), Verena, and Lea, as well as some members who we had not seen for a while, such as Adrienne (who has been very busy with her graduate studies) and Mirjam (who was in town for a short while as a participant in Slovenian Symposium at Columbia University).
It was wonderful to have such a large group together again and since it was a beautiful sunny day, we decided to move our brunch to the rooftop garden/deck of Vesna’s apartment building. This not only gave everyone a chance to enjoy good food (a big favorite was an absolutely delicious strudel made by Ria) but also catch up with old friends and make new ones.
However, the main purpose of the gathering was to finalize the preparations for Mirjam’s lecture in early November titled Life Stories of Immigrant Women: A Slovenian-American Journey. For those of you who could not attend, we now have a final version of the flayer (in PDF format) with information about the lecture. Please distribute printed copies or email it to relevant parties, such as local news organizations, friends that may be interested in hearing the lecture, etc. The crucial factor in success of this event is the attendance so please spend some time getting the word out to those who may be interested.
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Symposium: Slovenia – Past and Present at Columbia University |
In September, symposium entitled Slovenia - Past and Present was organized by Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs East Central European Center in collaboration with Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Consulate General of Slovenia in New York. It included opening remarks by Dr. Metod Milač, President of Society of Slovene Studies, and a keynote address by Dr. Dimitrij Rupel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Chairman of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) followed by a number of interesting presentations on diverse academic topics.
In his presentation Slovenian History: Between Myth and Realty, Dr. Oto Luthar spoke about power of myth and need for continuous examination of supposedly established historic facts, as well as numerous difficulties historians face when trying to decide on the actual course of events that concern politically sensitive historical periods. Dr. Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik gave a wonderful presentation outlining various common themes in her extensive body of research consisting of numerous personal and moving stories of Slovenian women who immigrated to the United States in Slovenian Emigrants' Perception of America. Dr. Jeffrey David Turk spoke about the recent economic successes as well as current challenges facing Slovenia in a provocatively titled presentation The Failure of Economics and Slovenia's Remarkable Development. Finally, Dr. Marina Grzinič Mauhler explored recent trends and raised interesting and intellectually stimulating connections between the Arts, creativity and politics in Re-Politization of Art in Relation to Creativity and Resistance.
Following the presentations, discussion panels and Q&A periods, attendees were invited to the lobby for opening ceremony of the Exhibition of Slovenian Design and Architecture, including Any sharp objects? -- Contemporary Slovenian Textile and Fashion Design by SOTO (a group of nineteen designers), Martin Bricelj's Memory: A History of Slovenian Graphic Design, and Sixpack - Contemporary Slovenian Architecture featuring the work of six young Slovenian architectural practitioners. Warm welcoming remarks from Consul General Ms. Alenka Suhadolnik (SWUA Branch 93 member!) facilitated this wonderful opportunity for symposium attendees of diverse professional and academic backgrounds to chat over good Slovenian wine and tasty hors d'oeuvres. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Meeting at Bryant Park |
 We met on Wednesday, July 27th, at the Upper Terrace of the beautiful Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library in Midtown. Since the weather was not cooperating and ominous clouds were gathering above our heads, we moved from the outside seating in the park to a coffee shop close by, and just in time! Four members (Lynn, Sonja, Vesna and Marija) met to further discuss and formalize plans, as well as assign certain responsibilities, regarding Mirjam’s lecture in November. Please see the announcement regarding this event in the Special Section on the right for more details.
We are hoping for a strong interest from our own branch members, participants from other branches, other Slovenian organizations in the United States, interested academics from local universities, and the local PBS station. Given the scale of the event and the fact that Mirjam will be coming all the way from Slovenia, we would like to appeal to everyone to participate in the organization of this event.
If you could not attend the meeting but would still like to help, please contact us via the web form or email us directly and let us know how you might be able help. In addition, any other ideas and suggestions about the event are welcome.
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Meeting at Luna Park, Union Square Park |
 On Sunday, June 16th, we met in the Luna Park Restaurant within Union Square Park in Manhattan. Although many seem to have been discouraged from venturing out into the City on a very hot summer day, Vesna, Lynn and Sonja braved the temperature in the 90’s to discuss and plan upcoming events while enjoying a lovely Sunday brunch.
At the end of February we applied for grant money from the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia For Slovenians Abroad for a lecture series to be given at several locations in the United States by Mirjam Milharčič-Hladnik in the fall of 2005. Vesna was happy to report that we had received some funding which will allow us to organize the lecture, albeit only in New York City. A tentative time frame for the event is early November. We discussed preliminary details of organizing the lecture in traditional Slovenian fashion, combined with Slovenian wine and cookies and in conjunction with the Slovenian Consulate. We would also like to invite all SWUA members across the country to join us if possible and discussed ways to advertise the event through Zarja.
We also talked about our initiative relating to RTV Slovenia’s program Slovenian Magazine. Per Lynn’s initiative in late February, Vesna recorded an episode of the program and sent it to SWUA headquarters. Due to a very enthusiastic response, Lynn further suggested taping a few episodes and mailing them to other branches that would be interested in viewing the program. An order form for a tape with three episodes prepared by Lynn was printed in the May/June issue of Zarja and we received a number of orders, which we plan to send out by mid August.
Finally we decided on who should fill the position of a Branch Web Liaison in response to the memo from SWUA headquarters asking us to elect someone who would be willing to supply a SWUA contact persons with our branch news to be posted on the web. Sonja, who is our current webmaster, accepted the responsibilities related to this position.
We are planning to get together for another meeting to finalize details related to organizing Mirjam’s lecture and sending out of Slovenian Magazine tapes. Tentatively this will take place in late July so be on a lookout for another evite soon! | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Meeting at La Pain Quotidien |
 We met on Saturday, February 19th, at La Pain Quotidien, a bakery-café located at ABC Carpet & Home in Gramercy/Flatiron district of Manhattan, to catch up on the news and discuss upcoming events of SWUA New York Branch. The meeting was attended by three members and the Slovenian Consul to New York, Ms. Alenka Suhadolnik. While researching ideas and funding for future events, Vesna discovered that the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad had issued a call for proposals to co-finance projects of Slovenians and their organizations abroad with a goal of strengthening and maintain their national and cultural identity. We discussed ideas for upcoming projects that could qualify for such funding and decided to apply for funding assistance to invite Mirjam Milharčič-Hladnik for a lecture series in New York and other cities on the topic of the role of women in preserving the cultural heritage among Slovenian immigrants in the US. Mirjam is a member of the SWUA NY Branch but moved back to Slovenia last year. During her stay in the US she studied the lives and history of Slovenian Women in the US, which was part of a larger project by the Slovenian Cultural Ministry on Slovenian Emigration, including recording interviews for a documentary film on the subject (see Events section for full story). | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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St. Martin's day (Martinovanje) |
In November, we celebrated St. Martin’s Day, Martinovanje, with a wonderful feast of Slovenian wines and traditional Slovenian brunch of cold cuts and cheeses. Martinovanje is a celebration of changing of must into wine, when the grape harvest concludes with the blessing of the season's young wine, and is traditionally celebrated on November 11. We sampled various Slovenian wines, Marija brought an excellent authentic Slovenian smoked sausage, and Lynn brought a homemade apple strudel. Vesna shared with us a wonderful Pleterje Viljamovka, a special brandy produced in the Pleterje monastery in Slovenia, for which a pear grows inside the bottle before being topped off with pear brandy. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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The Planning Meeting and Apple Strudel making |
At the end of September, we discussed the activities for the coming year and made an apple strudel. There were six members in attendance, including a new member, Gabi Bockaj, who joined us for the first time. We had a good time and the apple strudel turned out to be a tasty success! | | Add comment | See comments (1) | |
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We have a New Branch President! |
In July, Lynn Zalokar, our president for the past two and a half years stepped down for personal reasons. Vesna Straser, an active branch member, accepted "the job".
Lynn saw our branch through a successful and much needed reorganization two and a half years. There were nine original members, while currently we have more than thirty. (Many of the original members are retired and/or live out of state, and we also have some members in the Boston area.) Lynn took over the Presidency from Jana Colonna when she moved to Florida and then later back to Slovenia!
Lynn, who continues to be an active member, left the post of the president with the following words of wisdom: “New leadership means some changes, but usually in a positive way. Vesna met with me personally to make sure she understood what the branch presidency entails. Vesna told me about some of her meeting ideas. They are in tune with the SWUA mission, vision and purpose so I feel we will be in good hands. Vesna is a native of Maribor in Slovenia and completed advanced degrees here in the U.S. She lives with her husband in Manhattan.”
Vesna accepted the position of the President with the following inspiring words: “I will do my best to keep our branch active and in-line with the SWUA mission and purpose. I would like our meetings to focus on keeping alive not only Slovenian traditions but also on promoting contemporary Slovenian culture and habits.”
We are all grateful to Lynn for the tremendous work over the years and look forward to further successes under Vesna’s leadership!
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Mirjam’s Potica demonstration |
 In May of 2004 we gathered at the home of one of our members for a potica making demonstration. Mirjam was kind enough to invite all of us to her home and share with us the secrets of making a potica based on her grandmother’s recipe.
There were eight of us in attendance – Mirjam and her daughter Angela, Mirjam’s friend Bronwyn, branch members: Lynn, Tea, Vesna, and Sonja, and Sonja’s husband Hoon, who also assumed the role of a photographer, documenting the demonstration in pictures.
We learned that making a potica is not as hard and intimidating as it might seem and with Mirjam leading the way we all took part. First, Mirjam briefly explained the process and the necessary ingredients and we made the dough using fresh live yeast instead of dry yeast. Then, while waiting for the dough to rise, which takes about an hour, we chatted and enjoyed excellent French, Italian and New York State wines. After the dough was ready, we made the filling, stretched the dough, filled and rolled up the potica. Since the recipe calls for the prepared potica to sit for another hour before baking, in order to allow the dough to rise more, and then to bake for an hour, we continued chatting over wine and wonderful snacks and finger food Mirjam set out for us.
Angela also provided entertainment by showing us her rope jumping tricks, reciting comical children’s poems in Slovene and reading us a fairy tale. Later, Mirjam’s younger daughter Julijana, who for most of the afternoon had been at a friend’s birthday party, also joined us. Toward the end a wonderful smell of baked potica filled the air and we could hardly wait to taste it. Mirjam pointed out that the proper way is to allow potica to fully cool before cutting it, but since it was getting late in the evening, we broke with tradition and headed home with wonderful chunks of deliciously smelling potica.
After the meeting many of us admitted to no longer being intimidated by the process of potica making and promised to try making it on our own in the near future. For more pictures please visit the Gallery! For an article about Potica that includes a recipe based on Mirjam’s grandmother’s recipe check out Potica takes Slovenian tradition on a roll. | | Add comment | See comments (2) | |
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Egg dyeing |
 In April of 2004 we gathered once again at the Slovenian Cultural Center, located in the basement of St. Cyril’s Slovenian Church at St. Mark’s Place in the East Village for our annual Egg Dying Event. Tea Rozman Clark was once again kind enough to demonstrate a traditional egg dying technique using herb leaves and red onion skins. We were all happy to meet Tea's sister Ana (who was visiting from Slovenia) and new member Aleksandra Wagner, who attended with her daughter Viktoria (5). Viktoria started out shy, but was soon chatting easily with everyone! While waiting for our died eggs to cook we enjoyed a variety of foods including appetizers and sushi rolls, tiramisu, brownies, fresh mangoes and strawberries, along with a variety of new Slovenian music that Ana brought with her. We also had a drawing for Door Prizes and the winners were: Hoon Kong (personal care products), Sonja Knežević-Kong (bottle of red wine), Marilyn Tavoularis (socks with heart flowers as in "It's in Every SLOVEnian"). | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Holiday Party |
 In December of 2003 a few Branch 93 members braved the cold weather to attend a Holiday Party at Djerdan Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. We had a chance to enjoy fabulous homemade Bosnian and Balkan dishes such as spinach-and-cheese and ground-beef burek [borek], described in one review as “titanic slabs of flaky phyllo pie” and ćevapi, a tasty Bosnian beef sausages served with feta, sliced onion, and ajvar, a red pepper condiment. We also found Jupi and Kokta, two soft drinks many of us remember from Slovenia. This restaurant was a particularly appropriate choice since we were also selling hand-knit crafts made by Bosnian refugee women currently living in Slovenia, with the proceeds going directly and in their entirety to the women. There were also door prizes and party favors and we had a lot of fun. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Wine tasting at the Slovenian Consulate New York |
 In October of 2003 Branch 93 members Adrienne Bonser and Andrea Selak organized a spectacular wine tasting event at the Slovenian Consulate in New York. Mr. Emil Gaspari, whose company TriWines Inc. is an importer of Slovenian wines, provided a large variety of red and white wines from Slovenia’s Podravje, Posavje and Primorje wine growing regions. There were more than 40 guests including Slovenians and Slovenian-Americans as well as their friends and colleagues, and for some this was a first taste of things Slovenian. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Branch 93 member filming a documentary |
 In October of 2003, Branch 93 member Mirjam Hladnik and her crew were filming the New York portion of interviews with many SWUA members for her documentary. The film is based on her research that deals with women, preservation of Slovenian cultural heritage and identity in the US. As Mirjam said “the primary purpose of the film is to show a variety of ways in which identities are formed, broken up and reassembled and how ethnicity is only one aspect of it, for some more for others less important.” The idea is to form one common story from all the numerous individual voices expressed in the interviews. The film is expected to be completed by the end of 2004 and it is Mirjam’s hope that it will be shown in both US and Slovenia, even if in very small circles. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Annual Slovenian Picnic |
 In July of 2003 a few of the Branch 93 members joined the traditional annual Slovenian picnic at Blue Mountain Reservation in Upper Westchester near Peekskill. This event was organized by Slovenians and Slovenian-Americans in the Northeast and co-sponsored by Slovenina Consulate in New York City. The invitation stated that “all who speak Slovenian and their family members, friends of Slovenia and those who feel comfortable among Slovenian-Americans are invited.” People came from all around New York City Metro area, some as far a Central New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
 Food was excellent and enjoyed in great and diverse company. Thanks to the kindness of Consul General Mr. Andrej Podvršič, the Consulate donated a piglet to be roasted in a traditional fashion and people took turns in helping rotate and baste it for hours, since constant rotation is necessary for the meat to be uniformly cooked and basting for the skin not to burn. There was also golaž (a traditional meat stew) slow-cooked in a cauldron over an open fire and served with polenta (cornbread). In addition, everyone brought a dish to pass so there was also a variety of salads, finger-foods, snacks and deserts, including a fabulous “prekmurska gibanica.” Mr. Emil Gaspari of TriWines Inc. brought a sample of excellent Slovenian wines for everyone to enjoy. The weather was moody and at one time there was a rain shower but we just huddled under a tent until it passed and after the sun returned we set up a volleyball net and got into the game! We had a great time and are looking forward to the next year’s event! | | Add comment | See comments (1) | |
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An Evening of Slovenian Writing at the Bowery Poetry Club |
In June of 2003 the Consulate General of Slovenia in New York sent out an invitation for an Evening of Slovenian Writing with guest writers Brane Mozetič and Suzana Tratnik, which was held at the Bowery Poetry Club. Both Brane and Suzana read their works in Slovenian, followed by an English translation. Some twenty to thirty people attended including a few Branch 93 members. The Consulate also provided a few bottles of wonderful Slovenian Cabernet to help promote the event and Slovenia.
At the end of the reading Tea Rozman Clark and I got a wonderful opportunity to chat with both Brane and Suzana in a very relaxed atmosphere. I was blown away by how personable and down to earth they both were, in spite of being well know writers (according to Tea, they are among the best know gay writers and activists in Slovenia). I ended up buying a wonderful collection of Brane’s poems entitled “Besede, ki žgejo” [Words that burn], the actual copy from which he was reading and which he was very gracious to dedicate and sign, and a CD entitled “Košček hrupa in ščepec soli” [A bit of noise and a pinch of salt – note this is a play of words because “košček hrupa,” a bit of noise, sounds very similar to “košček kruha,” a bit of bread], a fun compilation of five Slovenian poets reading their various poems, one of them being Brane Mozetič, intertwined with new age music mixes. Tea was lucky enough to get her hands on Suzana’s only copy of collection of her short stories entitled “Pod ničlo” (Below Zero).
Here’s a bit more information about the authors:
Brane Mozetič was born on October 14, 1958 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and graduated from the College of Philosophy (University of Ljubljana) in 1983, majoring in Comparative Literature. During 1984/85 he studied at University of Sorbonne in Paris. Since 1986 he has been an independent artist. He writes poetry, prose, essays, and also does translations. He is the Editor of the literary publication “Aleph” at the Center for Slovenian Literature and literary publication “Lambda” at ŠKUC. For a number of years he has been and continues to be a dedicated activist for the rights of homosexuals and recently has also been very active in representing Slovenian literature abroad. Many of his works have been translated and published in English, Spanish, French, German, Serbian and Croatian. He is the recipient of five literary awards, including the FALGWE award in Paris in 1990.
Suzana Tratnik was born on April 20, 1963 in Murska Sobota, Slovenia. She is a sociologist, writer, publicist, translator and a lesbian activist. She has published many short stories in numerous literary journals and anthologies such as “Modra Svetloba” (ŠKUC-Lambda, Ljubljana 1990), “Ženski zalivi” (Mihelač, Ljubljana 1996), “Ne bomo več pridne” (Mihelač, Ljubljana 1997), “Sappho küsst Europa” (Querverlag, Berlin 1997), “The Vintage Book of International Lesbian Fiction” (Vintage Press, New York and Toronto 1999). In 1998 she published a collection of short stories “Pod ničlo” (ŠKUC-Lambda, Ljubljana 1997), in the year 2001 a novel “Ime mi je Damjan,” with the same publisher, and in the year 2002 a collection of short stories “Unterm Strich” in German translation. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Screening of Kruh in Mleko [Bread and Milk] by Jan Cvitkovič |
In May of 2003 another Slovenian film Kruh in Mleko [Bread and Milk] directed by Jan Cvitkovič, along with many others was screened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music festival of New Slovenian Films. I attended the screening with my husband and a coworker and ended up running into Lynn Zalokar, Branch 93 president, at the theatre. Kruh in Mleko was awarded Lion of the Future - Best First Feature Film Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2001. In the words of the director Jan Cvitkovič:
BREAD AND MILK is a crude and concurrently tender film about people who are in search of warmth and love, and yet everything they do sets the odds against them. The film is about people living between heaven and hell. About people we all know.
For more information about Bread and Milk visit http://www.emotionfilm.si/kruh | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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Screening of Varuh Meje [Guardian of the Frontier] by Maja Weiss |
In April of 2003 Slovenina film Varuh Meje [Guardian of the Frontier] directed by Maja Weiss, was shown as part of the New Directors/New Films Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and many of the Branch 93 members attended. Following the screening Hoon and I attended there was a Q&A session with Maja Weiss, the director, and her sister Ida Weiss, the producer of the film. It was interesting to find out that this was Maja’s first film with a factional story line and that her specialty is documentaries. In an email exchange I later had with another Branch 93 member Mirjam Hladnik I found out that Maja made a “famous documentary film Nuba, Pure People about the illegal journey of the Slovene writer Tomo Križnar to the Nuba Mountains in Sudan and the story of the unknown genocide perpetrated for fifteen years against the Nuba people. The film is still one of the very rare documentaries about the recent situation of the Nuba people, if not the only one in the world.”
The following is the excerpt from the festival program describing the film:
 GUARDIAN OF THE FRONTIER. A trio of stunning students on summer break, bored with partying, decide to take a canoe trip down the river Kolpa. Their pleasure cruise becomes a journey into fear, tinged perhaps with the supernatural, when the young women discover that the woods hide not only the border between Slovenia and Croatia, but also that between the permissible and the forbidden. This erotic and menacing fairy tale is a dazzling debut by Maja Weiss, whose eye is equally keen for color and incident, fantasy and politics and the intimate landscape along the river as it is for contemporary life in her country in tough times.
For more information about Guardian of the Frontier visit http://www.varuhmeje.com
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Egg dyeing and potluck dinner |
 In April of 2003 we had a meeting at the Slovenian Cultural Center, located in the basement of St. Cyril's Slovenian church at St. Mark's Place in the East Village. Father Krizolog was kind enough to give us a tour of the church and tell us about the history of Slovenian Catholic and cultural community in New York, as well as the church's recent extensive restoration project and beautiful artwork. We had many attendees and the highlight of the meeting was when Tea Rozman Clark taught us how to do traditional Slovenian Easter egg dyeing with plants and onion skins. We shared the food at a potluck dinner while waiting for our died eggs to cook, and to wrap up the evening we had a raffle where prizes included Slovenian wine, povitica gift certificate, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra CD and more. | | Add comment | See comments (2) | |
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Prešern’s Day and Gregorjevo Celebration |
 In February of 2003 we celebrated Prešernov dan [Prešern’s Day], Slovene National Cultural Holiday in honor of poet Prešern, by meeting in the Café of Washington Square Hotel in Greenwich Village. I had joined SWUA Branch 93 in January so this was the first meeting my husband Hoon and I attended. Marta Stemberger gave a talk about Prešern’s life and work, and we read Zdravljica [A Toast], one of his most famous poems and current Slovenian National Anthem, in original Slovene followed by an English translation. Tea Rozman Clark gave a presentation about folk customs relating to Gregorjevo (a traditional Slovenian holiday similar to Valentine’s Day) and tradition of crafts such as lectovo srce and gregorčki. | | Add comment | See comments (0) | |
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 active event (click to see detail)
The Slovenian Women's Union of America
(Slovenska Ženska Zveza Amerike)
Click here to join SWUA
*SWUA Branch 93 NYC*
unites women of Slovenian descent living in the New York City area. We hold regular meetings to provide resources, communication, and foster friendships in honor of our cultural heritage.
Men are welcome to join and participate too!
Members are invited to join:
WATCH 100% Slovenian (Americanke)!
Ljubljana featured in NYT Travel Section
 New York Times Travel Section, July 31, 2005 In Ljubljana, the Old Europe and
the New Are Still in Balance(click on the image for the link to the article)
Slovenia featured in NY Post
 New York Post Travel Section, March 16, 2004 (click on the image for the link to the article)
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