Page 4 - C.A.L.L. #26 - Winter 2005/2006

In Memoriam: Naomi Shalmon (1923-2005)

Farewell to Naomi, from Joel Dorkam, spoken at the grave:

We are gathered here today, members of the "Urfeld Circle" from all parts of the
country, to take leave of our dear comrade Naomi Shalmon, who has been
reunited with her husband Shiomo, of blessed memory.
Together with him she took part in the "International Communes Desk "and
together with him she was one of the co-founders of the Jewish-Christian
"Urfeld Circle", a joining together of Israeli kibbutz people and German members
of the "Catholic Integrated Community".

This event should not be taken lightly; as the daughter of Holocaust victims, Naomi Shalmon (left) with Traudl Wallbrecher of
she needed a great deal of courage in order to lead a dialogue with the Catholic Integrated Community, 1998.
descendants of the perpetrators who caused this disaster. After having made
a decision, Naomi was one of the mainstays of the Circle. At the meetings she listened attentively, now and again contributing
to the discussion out of her rich life experience - always with friendly tact and sensitivity. Our partners in the dialogue
appreciated her special qualities and encountered her with special attention and love, especially in her time of need.

Naomi participated in all of the meetings of the Urfeld Circle in Israel and also abroad. Only at the last meeting in Germany was
she no longer able to make it, and so she sent a greeting which includes a soft hint of farewell. May her soul be bound in the
bond of eternal life.

This summer saw the 6'" International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society.
What follows is an excerpt from the conference programme…

Welcome to the 6"' International Conference National Historic Communal Societies
of the Utopian Studies Society, which is Association.
taking place this year in New Lanark.
Today we have an almost fully restored
Founded as a cotton-manufacturing enterprise
village, with our own Hotel, while Owen's
by David Dale (1739-1806) a fatherly and
Institute for the Formation of Character and
benevolent Scot with the gift of making
the School for Children, are open to the
money, New Lanark passed into the hands of
public, along with the Millworkers' House,
his son-in-law Robert Owen, in 1800.
the Village Store and Robert Owen's House.
Recalling his first sight of New Lanark in
We also have a resident population, including
1798, Owen wrote "of all the places I have yet
former mill workers, of around 200 people.
seen, I should prefer this in which to try an
We generate hydro-electricity from the river,
experiment I have long contemplated, and
the original
have wished to have an opportunity to put into
At ours, we had a t ours, we had a
At ours, we had a At ours, we had a
And and at ours, t ours, two two
A
practice". And so New Lanark became the site source of A And aAnd at ours, t ours, two two
calves were born calves were born
c
c
calf born with two alf born with two
power for the calf born with two calf born with two calves were born alves were born
of Robert Owen's famous community
w
with one headith one head
h
headseads
mills, to heat headsheads with one headwith one head
experiment 1800-1825.
and light the
The Utopian Studies Society was actually Hotel and Visitor
formed in 1988 at New Lanark, so this Centre buildings.
summer the Society returns to its spiritual New Lanark is
home. In July 1988 Utopian scholars and now inscribed on
community practitioners from around the UNESCO's list of
world met in Scotland - at New Lanark and World Heritage
the University of Edinburgh - to exchange Sites, and is thus
ideas on the perfect society, past and present, deemed to be a
under the auspices of the International site of outstanding universal cultural
Communal Studies Association and the significance.

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