The symposium is designed to look back on the past century of Jewish life in America and to chart a vision of the future. The symposium also marks the 100th anniversary of the organized Jewish community of St. Louis and the founding of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.

Fein will deliver the symposium's keynote address -- "Jewish Experiences of America: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?" Fein's books include Where Are We? The Inner Life of America's Jews and Against the Dying of the Light: A Story of Love, Loss, and Hope.

Fein's presentation takes place at 8:30 p.m. April 6 in the Brown Hall Auditorium. His address will be followed by a public reception.

The symposium continues April 7 with a program that includes four presentations and panel discussions. All symposium events will take place in Brown Hall. Each session kicks off with a presentation by a leading scholar of the Jewish experience in America, followed by a roundtable discussion.

Topics and presenters include:

¥ 9-10:30 a.m.: "The Changing Nature of American Jewish Identity" -- features Marc Dollinger, the Goldman Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University. Dollinger has written Quest for Inclusion: Jews and Liberalism in Modern America and has another work -- Is It Good for The Jews: Liberalism and the Challenges of the 1960s -- in progress. His talk will focus on "Jewish Identities in Twentieth Century America."

¥ 10:30-11:15 a.m.: "Across Boundaries: Jewish Intergroup Relations" -- features Hasia Diner, professor of American Jewish history at New York University and a specialist on immigration and ethnic history.

¥ 1-2 p.m.: Lunch break. Kosher box lunches, available for $9.50, may be reserved during advanced re-gistration (see information below).

¥ 2-3:30 p.m.: "Defining Community" -- features Samuel Heilman, the Harold Proshansky Professor in Jewish Studies and Sociology at the City University of New York. Heilman, the author of eight books, including A Portrait of American Jewry: The Last Half of the 20th Century and A Walker in Jerusalem, is the recipient of the national Jewish book award.

¥ 3:45-5:15 p.m.: "Charting the Future" -- opens with David Teutsch, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and editor in chief of the groundbreaking five-volume Kol Haneshamah prayer book series.

The symposium is sponsored by Arts & Sciences at Washington University in cooperation with the St. Louis Rabbinical Association and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. The project is funded by a grant from the Ullus and Ann Gudder Charitable Trust with additional funding from the Adam Cherrick Fund in Jewish Studies.

Additional information is available on the federation's Web site, www.jewishinstlouis.org.