rabbi shields to lead lake norman ... - charlotte jewish newsof ethiopian jews. in their effort to...

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT # 1208CHARLOTTE, NC

5007 Providence Road, Suite #112Charlotte, NC 28226Change Service Requested

Vol. 30, No. 6 Iyar-Sivan-Tamuz 5768 June-July 2008

An Affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

In a historic and joyful first, afull time Rabbi will lead the thriv-ing congregation in the LakeNorman area.

Beginning June 1, MichaelShields will become rabbi ofthe Lake Norman JewishCongregation (Reform) in theLake Norman area. Rabbi Shieldsand the LNJC were broughttogether by a lengthy but mean-ingful matching process thatincluded initial interviews in LosAngeles, CA, followed by a week-end-long interview in Davidson,NC. Rabbi Shields and the LNJCcongregation had an opportunityto get acquainted and discuss thebright future of the growingJewish community in the Lake

area. “The congregational leader-ship has already created a commu-nity that welcomes all, and is com-mitted to the education of childrenand adults,” says Shields.

LNJC is a spiritual home forJews in the North Charlotte andthe Lake Norman area. “We wel-come all who seek a spiritualhome, wish to engage in learning,or desire a community that wantsto rejoice with them in times ofhappiness and be a loving pres-ence in times of hardship,” saysShields. “We are excited about theopportunity the congregation hasto build a meaningful communityfor all from its genesis.”

“This is a huge milestone in thegrowth of LNJC,” says Slade

Goldstein, president. “We can nowoffer our congregation the manybenefits of full-time rabbinic lead-

ership. We couldn’t have found abetter rabbi to lead us into thefuture. These are very excitingtimes for LNJC.”

As Rabbi Joshua Davidson, onementor of Rabbi Shields says:“The synagogue is a kehilahkedoshah– a sacred community.Like a Sukkah, it is constructed ofmany different branches woventogether: the young, the old, therich and the poor, the married andthe unmarried, single parents,grandparents, gays and heterosex-uals, non-Jewish spouses. Thebroader the Sukkah’s reach, themore tightly its branches arewoven, the stronger it stands.”Rabbi Shields and the LNJCbelieve in this holy conception of

community and invite all to comejoin in fashioning the future of thecommunity.

Rabbi Shields will have officespace in Davidson and atDavidson College. He received hisM.A. in Hebrew Literature, M.A.in Religious Education, andRabbinical Ordination at HebrewUnion College – Jewish Instituteof Religion. His interests includesocial action, connecting Judaismwith the outdoors, music, and thesearch for meaning in the modernworld.

For more information, visitwww.LakeNormanjc.org. Y

Rabbi Shields to Lead Lake Norman Jewish Congregation

Rabbi Michael Shields

By Larry PolskyBelieve it or not,

Temple Beth El’scapital and endow-ment campaign hasgenerated $9.28 mil-lion in pledges and,equally impressive,more than 550donors have con-tributed to the effort.So how did we comeso far?

Any meaningfulgoal that stretches anorganization to perform theunlikely takes ideas, dedication,passion, understanding, and hardwork of a large and unified groupof people who feel the commit-ment.

We have such a group, led byRabbi Schindler, our ExecutiveDirector, Sara Schreibman and ahighly dedicated staff. We’ve beenblessed to have Jonathan Howardserve so very capably at the helmtogether with an outstandingBoard of Directors. And the cam-paign cabinet whose donorresponsibilities were skillfullyshared by Fred Dumas, RichGilbert, Rich Osborne, and MitchRifkin. Other key cabinet posi-tions included an impressive com-munications effort headed byAdam Bernstein and a financialoversight function led by MickeyAberman and Kathy Rosenfeld. Inaddition, there were approximate-ly 65 other volunteers (ages 33 to90) who among other things par-ticipated in phonathons and culti-vation events; engaged tirelesslyin face-to-face and over-the-phonesolicitations; manned tables at vir-tually every Friday night service;

and the list offundraising activitiesgoes on and on.

And what aboutthe congregants whofinancially supportedthis huge undertak-ing?

Every single dona-tion has made a dif-ference. Each of uson the campaign cab-inet can cite manyinstances of congre-gants who dug deep

into their pockets to pledge.Widows and widowers, single par-ents, teenagers, recent newcomers,and even some unemployed recog-nized the need and said “We wantto help; we want to be part of thiseffort.”

Jack Welch, former Chairmanand CEO of the General ElectricCompany, said that “the bestorganizations create a vision,articulate the vision, passionatelyown the vision, and relentlesslydrive it to completion.” That’sexactly what this organization hasdone over the last seventeenmonths and that’s exactly what wewill do until we reach our $10 mil-lion goal. Thank you to the clergy,staff, volunteers and donors whoare helping to make Temple BethEl a very special place. Y

Temple Beth El CampaignSurpasses $9 Million Mark

Larry Polsky

More than a million childrenwere displaced after the ethniccleansing in Rwanda in the early1990s.

“My first thought was of …orphan survivors of theHolocaust,” said Anne Heyman,founder of the Agahozo ShalomYouth Village. ASYV, a specialproject of the non-sectarian seg-ment of the American Jewish JointDistribution Committee (JDC),provides a protected residentialenvironment and a high school for500 Rwandan orphans. TheVillage offers innovative educa-tional programs, sports, a healthclinic, and psychologicalservices.

Here in Charlotte,Henry Gorelick was look-ing for special project forthe community serviceportion of his BarMitzvah. At about thesame time his grandmoth-er, Debby Miller, whoserves on the board of theJDC, mentioned to himthe Agahozo ShalomYouth Village. “I wasawestruck,” says Henry, in

a manner that belies his youth,“and knew I wanted to help.”

In conjunction with his BarMitzvah, Henry showed the movieHotel Rwanda to the communityand invited speaker Tina Wyatt,one of the founders of the project,to Charlotte.

ASYV is based on Yemin Orde,a similar village in Israel, that hashoused and educated a generationof Ethiopian Jews. In their effortto pay back what they havereceived, a team of Ethiopian-Israelis will serve as mentors forthe educators and role models forASYV students.

The Village is expectedto become operational in2009. Henry hopes that ourlocal community willresearch, become familiarwith, and support theVillage. “What really touch-es me is that JDC is provid-ing a safe loving place forthese kids,” Henry con-cludes. “The staff ofAgahozo-Shalom will belike the children’s parents,which will be a dream cometrue for them.” Y

Saving the ChildrenHenry Gorelick Raises Awareness of Tragedy in Rwandaand the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village

Henry Gorelick

Agahozo Shalom Youth Village

Also inside ....The community celebrates Israel at 60, See page 5.

The Barbara & Jerry Levin Middle School visits New YorkCity, See page 11.

Celebrate Shavuot!, See page 27.

The Charlotte Jewish News -June-July 2008 -

The Charlotte Jewish News5007 Providence Road, Suite 112

Charlotte, NC 28226

Phone (voice mail after office hours)Office 704-944-6765FAX 704-365-4507

email: [email protected]

An Affiliate of theJewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

Amy Krakovitz - EditorAdvertising Sales Reps: Pam Grossman, 704-841-1544; Jodi Valenstein, 704-841-4040; Rita Mond, 704-366-6632

Staff Photographer: Peter FeldmanCJN Editorial BoardChair - Bob Davis

Members: Bob Abel, Alan Becker, Evelyn Berger, Jeff Epstein,

Ann Langman, Linda LevyThe CJN does not assume responsibility for the quality or kasruth of any product or

service advertised. Publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute anendorsement of any candidate, political party or position by this newspaper, the

Federation or any employees.

Published monthly except July

I would like to make a contribution to demonstrate my support of The Charlotte Jewish News.

Name....................................................................Phone ( .............) .................................

Address..............................................................................................................................

City .......................................................................State ..................Zip .............................

Enclosed in my check for $ ..........................

................ $18.00 Basic Annual Subscription

................ $25.00 Friend

................ $50.00 Patron

................ $100.00 Grand Patron

................ Other

Mail to:

The Charlotte Jewish NewsVoluntary Subscription Appeal5007 Providence RoadCharlotte, Nc 28226

Friday, June 6, 8:17 PM

Shavuot Eve, June 8, 8:18 PM

2nd Night Shavuot, June 9, after 9:21 PM




Friday, July 4, 8:23 PM




Federation News...................................................pp. 2-7

Synagogues and Congregations........................pp. 8-12

Women’s Page..........................................................p. 12

Community News.............................................pp. 12-15

Newcomers...............................................................p. 14

Jewish Family Services...................................pp. 16, 17

Youth Visions............................................................p. 17

Jewish Community Center.............................pp. 18, 19

Schools...............................................................pp. 20-22

Mazel Tov...................................................pp. 22, 23, 25

Dining Out........................................................pp. 23,24

Shavuot.....................................................................p. 27

Special Community Op-ed.....................................p. 27

“Repairing Families” by Sheila Peltzer

CONTENTS

SHABBAT AND HOLIDAY CANDLE

LIGHTING

FOR JUNE AND JULY 2008

JEWISH FEDERATION OUTREACH CALENDAR

Upcoming EventsSUNDAY, JUNE 1 and SUNDAY, AUGUST 3Newcomer Schmooze11 AM–12 noon, Weinberg CenterLearn about the Charlotte Jewish Community while meeting new friends.Newcomer Schmoozes are co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation and the Levine JCC.Complimentary bagels, coffee and juice are served. All ages are welcome.

For more information about Federation’s Outreach initiatives, please contact Jodi Greenwald [email protected] or 704-944-6759.

JEWISH FEDERATION NEWS

The Jewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte is excited toannounce the May graduationof the sixth class of theBernstein Leadership Group(BLG). Federation’s selective,18-month leadership program,the BLG prepares the next gen-eration of leaders (45 andunder) to assume leadershippositions within and beyond theCharlotte Jewish community.

Co-chairs Jen Algire andLaura Cherny re-envisioned theprogram this year around thetheme: “Building LeadershipThrough ….You!”

Bernstein Leaders participat-ed in exciting and innovativesessions including:

- The comedy of JoelChasnoff (with BLG alumni).

- Breakfast with RabbiJoseph Telushkin.

- A weekend retreat of Jewishlife and learning at theAmerican Hebrew Academy inGreensboro.

- Several sessions withLeadership Consultant EricRowles to identify leadershipstyles, develop a group bondand reflect on their experiences.

- The opportunity to learnShalom Park’s history directly

from two pioneers who spear-headed the fundraising and doc-umentation efforts: HarrySwimmer and Mark Bernstein.

- A private viewing of the“Families of Abraham” exhibitat the Levine Museum of theNew South followed by a facil-itated dialogue with Muslimyoung professionals.

- A philanthropy panel withcommitted volunteers and phi-lanthropists Stacy Gorelick, HalLevinson and Linda Seigel.

- A primer on thePhilosophies of Leadershipwith Consultant and Professor

Karen Geiger.- A board service primer with

Rosalyn Allison-Jacobs.- Participation in

Federation’s Super Sunday.- The United Jewish

Community’s “Washington 15”National Young LeadershipConference in DC with 1,100other Jewish leaders fromacross North America.

Throughout the program,the Bernstein Leaders also pre-sented chapters of RabbiTelushkin’s The Book of JewishValues which had them tacklingsuch issues as ethical behavior

among friends and colleagues,courteous treatment of strangers(and their animals!) and anony-mous vs. named giving.

The BLG program is gener-ously funded by Don and BobbiBernstein. To thank theBernsteins for their experi-ences, the Bernstein Leadersworked with the Federation toname the Bobbi and DonBernstein Young LeadershipAward in the couple’s honor.This award was first created in2007 and recognizes exception-al young leaders between theages of 25 and 45. MichaelKoss was the first recipient.

The 2008 BLG Class VIgraduates are:

Crystal Ben-Yohanan, JillBlades, Peter Feldman, KellyGaines, Herb Greenman,Jennifer Greenwald, JoshGreenwald, Scott Greenwald,Brian Hitt, Deborah Hitt, JeffKatz, Megan Keene Ward,Melissa Klingberg, DavidLevin, Kim Lewis, JordanLichstrahl, Lianne Lichstrahl,Adina Loewensteiner, JoshLoewensteiner, Aree Pearlman,Iftach Pearlman, BethPoliakoff, Jason Spiegler,Karen Spiegler, David

Warshaw, Kathy Warshaw,Jason Wenz and Tair Zaeh.

“We are so proud of thisyear’s talented group of gradu-ates,” said Don Bernstein.“They embody the qualities weenvisioned when first creatingthis program: Dedication,enthusiasm and passion for theJewish community. We have nodoubt they will continue tomake significant contributionsas leaders in our community foryears to come.”

Recruitment for Class VII ofthe Bernstein LeadershipGroup, under the leadership ofnew co-chairs Herb Greenmanand Adina Loewensteiner, willtake place this Fall. For moreinformation on how you orsomeone you know can takepart in this exciting program,please contact OutreachDirector Jodi Greenwald,[email protected] or 704-944-6759. Y

Thirty Young Leaders Graduate from the BernsteinLeadership Group

The graduating class of the Bernstein Leadership Group.

Local, Global, Eternal

The Jewish Federation’sSilver Circle Society honorsdonors who have contributed tothe Jewish Federation AnnualCampaign for 25 years or more.

On September 16, the JewishFederation will honor its SilverCircle donors during a privatedinner with Ambassador RedaMansour, Consul General ofIsrael to the Southeastern UnitedStates.

Eleanor and Morty Turk areco-chairing the event with theassistance of steering committeemembers Lois and SandyBenjamin, Lillian and IrvingBienstock, Florence Jaffa, Ruthand Alan Goldberg, Jill and Ed

Newman and Anne and BobYudell.

Because our records only goback to 1986 we are counting onour 25 year donors and themembers of our community whohave also contributed to otherfederations for 25 years or moreto provide the following infor-mation:

* Name and contact informa-tion

* Email address* Number of years contribut-

ing: 25 years, 30 years, 40 yearsor 50 years

Please email the informationto [email protected]. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2008 -

w Life Insurance w Health Insurance w Dental & Vision Insurancew Disability & Long Term Care Coverage w Annuities w HSA’s

7 0 4 - 3 7 6 - 74 3 4w w w . g r e e n s p o n . c o m

Campaign 2008 at a Glance

as of May 19, 2008

Campaign Total to Date $2,974,082

Number of Contributions 1,748

Percentage of Campaign Complete 93%

JEWISH FEDERATION NEWS

The mission of the JewishFederation of Greater Charlotteis to raise and distribute fundsto support and enrich the livesof Jews locally, nationally, inIsrael and worldwide. Througheducation, planning and com-munity building, theFederation’s mission ensuresthat Jewish values, goals, tradi-tions and connections are pre-served for current and futuregenerations.

The 2008 Annual Campaignis well on the way to meetingour goal of $3,180,000 to sup-port Jews in Charlotte, in Israeland overseas.

Our local Federation is partof the United JewishCommunities system of 155Federations across NorthAmerica which raises and dis-tributes over $1 billion eachyear to address urgent needslocally and around the world.

We appreciate each andevery gift to our Annual

Campaign! We count on thecontinued support of all of ourdonors and welcome the partic-ipation of new donors.Although we try to reach eachcommunity member personally,sometimes it’s difficult to makethe connection. If you have nothad the opportunity to makeyour pledge to the 2008 AnnualCampaign, please considermaking your pledge today.

Your pledge will be acknowl-edged by mail and an invoicewill be sent.

Please keep in mind that pay-ment is due by December 31,2008.

If your company participatesin a matching gift program, it’sa great way to increase yourpledge and you will receiverecognition for the gift plus thematch.

For more information, pleasecall the Federation office at704-944-6757.

Thank you for living gener-

ously – it does a world of good.To make your pledge, please

choose one of the followingthree easy options:

* Call our 24-HourCampaign Hotline: 704-944-6895.

* Pledge online at www.jewishcharlotte.org.

* Clip the pledge card belowand mail to: Jewish Federation,5007 Providence Road, Suite101, Charlotte, NC 28226. Y

The 2008 Annual Campaign – One PlaceWhere You Can Make a Difference

Silver Circle Society Dinner withAmbassador Reda Mansour

Under the leadership of co-chairs Liz Rothaus Bertrandand Anne Weiss, and with thegenerous support of the LightFactory, Belk Theatre and theMint Museum of Craft andDesign, the Jewish Federationpresented another exciting yearof Uptowners: Nosh andNetwork lunchtime programs.

Uptowners is theFederation’s outreach initiativefor the Charlotte business andprofessional community.Uptowners is free if no lunch ispurchased.

This year’s speakers includ-ed:

Cantor Elias Roochvarg onJewish Music in the 21stCentury; the CharlotteSymphony’s Meg Whalen onGustav Mahler’s FourthSymphony; Maria Hanlin onMecklenburg Ministries; teach-ers from our sister city ofHadera, Israel on Partnership2000 and what it’s like to teachin Israel; Douglas Bloomfieldon the Presidential Elections

from a Jewish perspective; TairZaeh on the Charlotte JewishCommunity’s Top-10 List;Harvey Smith on CareerManagement; Andrew Klein onServing in the IDF as anAmerican; and Moira Quinn onWhat’s New Uptown.

Uptowners: Nosh andNetwork will resume in theFall. For more information andto get involved, please contactthe Jewish Federation’sOutreach Director JodiGreenwald, [email protected] or 704-944-6759. Y

Another Exciting Yearof Uptowners: Noshand Network

Andrew Klein (right), a volunteerto the IDF who spoke toUptowners this year, with hisfather, Richard.

Local, Global, Eternalwww.jewishcharlotte.org

704-944-6757


The JCRC hosted community leaders on April 29. Back row, left to right: Eric Sklut,President, Foundation of Shalom Park; John Lassiter, City Council; Jennifer Roberts,County Commission; Lloyd Scher, NC House Candidate; Tom Tate, Board ofEducation; Andy Dulin, NC House Candidate; middle row, left to right: Sarah Kaplan,Jewish Federation; Jeff Epstein, JCRC Chair; Sue Worrel, Jewish FederationExecutive Director; Jeanette Blanco, JCRC; Stephanie Starr, Jewish Family ServicesExecutive Director; Laura Lewin, JCRC; Moira Quinn Klein, JCRC; Nancy Carter, CityCouncil; Judy Seldin Cohen, JCRC; Ellen Engelhardt, JCRC.

On May 6, the JCRC hosted these community leaders: left to right: GeorgeDunlap, Board of Education; David Miller, JCRC; Sarah Kaplan, JewishFederation; Daniel Bishop, County Commission; Warren Cooksey, City Council;Patsy Kinsey, City Council; Molly Griffin, Board of Education; Moira Quinn Klein,JCRC.

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) promotes the interests of theCharlotte Jewish community by creating working relationships with our neighborsand serving as the collective voice of the Jewish community. The JCRC’s Lunch inthe Park program invites members of the greater Charlotte community – includingelected officials, civic leaders, not for profit organizations, interfaith leaders – tocome and get to know the Charlotte Jewish community. The group spends time overlunch learning about what the Jewish community has to offer, and how relationshipscan be strengthened with these invidividuals. Lunch in the Park for April and Maywelcomed members of City Council, County Commissioners, and School Board.


WORK WITH A LEADER IN

CHARLOTTE REAL ESTATE

704-926-2544 office704-975-8500 cellwww.LepowRealtors.com

EXECUTIVE REALTY

&CONGREGATIONSSYNAGOGUES

This spring Temple Israellaunched it first cadre of “Sassy,Sophisticated, and Spiritual”young ladies, who spent sevenweeks together exploring growingup Jewish and the journey throughadolescents into adulthood.“Sassy, Sophisticated, andSpiritual” is a workshop for 6thand 7th grade girls exploring top-

ics such as empowerment,Jewish rituals, self-defenseand safety, and looking beauti-ful. The workshop is led byRabbi Faith Cantor.

Special guest from theCharlotte Mecklenburg PoliceDepartment, Sergeant RoseannDeTommaso came and led aworkshop where the girlspracticed self-defense tech-niques and discussed the dif-ferent ways to stay safe asthey gain more and more inde-pendence.

Jan Raznick, a long timeemployee of Mary Kay, visit-ed with the Sassy Ladies andshowed them the appropriateway for young teenagers to

take care of their skin and use theslightest amount of makeup toenhance their natural beauty.

The Sassy Ladies havedesigned and created their owntalitot. They invited their momsand sisters to join them in the dis-cussion of women and ritual cloth-ing during this workshop. Theyalso learned about the mitzvah oftzitizit and tied their own tzitzitonto the talitot they created.

Temple Israel is taking registra-tion for next fall’s “Sassy,Sophisticated, and Spiritual”workshop. The program will com-plement this spring’s topics so that6th and 7th grade girls can partici-pate in the whole year’s worth ofprogramming. Dates TBA. Y

Sassy, Sophisticated, Spiritual Girls BondTogether

Jan Raznick help-ing with makeupapplication andDiana Turk; JanRaznick, SarahFellman; and JillLevinson.

Sgt. Roseann DeTommaso along withEliana Berger and Miriam Roochvarglearning self defense.

The newly established Chabadof Ballantyne is happy toannounce that it will host a specialShavuot holiday program in theBallantyne area. Shavuot is amomentous time as we commem-orate God’s giving of the Torah atMt. Sinai and it is tradition togather together and hear the read-ing of the ten commandmentsfrom a Torah Scroll. The heroes ofthis holiday are the children forthey were the only guarantors God

would accept to assure that theTorah would be kept for all futuregenerations. It is therefore veryappropriate that all young childrenbe present for the reading. A spe-cial program, fun activities and anice cream party will be some ofthe highlights that the childrenwill experience. A traditional dairymeal will be served.

This event will be held onMonday, June 9 at the PostBallantyne Clubhouse, 14205

Ballantyne Lake Rd. beginning at6 PM to allow families with chil-dren to attend.

The following day Tuesday,June 10 morning services will beheld at 10 AM. Reading of theTorah at 11. Yizkor service will beat 11:30 AM, followed by a lightkiddush lunch.

For more information pleasecall 704-910-2020 or email us [email protected]

Chabad to Host Special Holiday Programin Ballantyne

The Temple Israel SocialClub, for active couples andsingles, invite you to join ourSocial Group.Meet new people and enjoyour interesting programs andtrips. For information callJanine Rosner 704-366-5631.

Coming EventsIn June there will be a

Summer Sunday Supper,held jointly with Temple BethEl.

Save Sunday, July 28 forCPCC’s enjoyable summertheatre musical, “Crazy ForYou.”

Flyers with details will bemailed to members.

Shavuot is a biblical festivalwhich commemorates the givingof the Torah by God at MountSinai over 3300 years ago. ThisDivine event is considered themost significant event in Jewishhistory as this is when theChildren of Israel became a peo-ple. The very existence of Judaismtoday is directly linked to thismilestone event which trans-formed the Jewish people forever.

This year Shavuot falls on June9 and 10. There are many interest-ing rituals and customs that makethis holiday memorable and mean-ingful. One custom that has beenpopularized over the years is theeating of dairy foods on Shavuot,such as cheesecake or cheeseblintzes. The origin of this customis based on the fact that Jews firstbegan to observe kosher dietarylaws with the giving of the Torah,and the most readily availablefoods to them at the time weremilk and cheese.

As this holiday commemoratesthe giving of the Torah, it hasbecome a custom to draw togetheras many people as possible at thesynagogue for Shavuot morningservices and to listen to the read-ing of the Ten Commandmentsfrom a Torah scroll. According tothe Midrash, there were aboutthree million Israelites in atten-dance at Mount Sinai who saw andheard as the Torah was given, andthis included small children as

well. The Midrash also notes thatthe children were the stars of thisDivine multimedia event, as theywere the guarantors of the Torah.Even today, we enact this greathistoric event on Shavuot; weencourage all Jewish children toattend the synagogue for a mostfantastic educational and funexperience.

Ohr HaTorah will host aShavuot service open to the entirecommunity on Monday, June 9,with a special program for chil-dren. The program will begin at 11AM and will feature the reading ofthe Ten Commandments and deli-cious dairy foods for young andold. There is no charge for thisevent. For more informationplease visit our website:www.ohrhatorahnc.org. Or callour office at 704-366-3984.Y


A Reconstructionist Thought:The Reconstructionist process fora Jew by choice to join the com-munity includes the traditionalritual immersion in a Mikvah, aBet Din for both men and women,and circumcision for men. Theconvert is instructed by aReconstructionist Rabbi in morethan just how to be an observantJew that includes history, obser-vance, beliefs, and the ability tomake choices. Those choices are,importantly, connected to thecommunity to which the converthas become a part and throughrelationships with fellow converts.(Summarized from ExploringJudaism, Alpert and Staub,Reconstructionist Press, 1985,2000.)

Our June 7–8 Shabbaton withstudent Rabbi Arlene Berger willfocus on “Welcoming theStranger.” We will have our com-munity service on Saturday morn-ing at 10:30 AM, an Adult Ed pro-gram on Saturday night at 7:30PM, and a kid friendly service onSunday morning at 10:30 AM. Wewill include Yizkor service onSaturday morning.

A “challenge” for the summerfrom Havurat Tikvah: Try to taketime this summer to welcome astranger, someone with whom youmay not be well acquainted. Sayhello, have a short chat, have a

coffee, see where it takes you– you may be surprised tofind a friend within thatstranger, and in the Autumnwill bloom all the memoriesof your summer.

Congregational Meeting5768 - On June 22, from 1-3:30 PM, we will have ourannual CongregationalMeeting at Fellowship Hall(see below). We look for-ward to seeing all HavuratTikvah members. We will beintroducing the new Boardfor 5769 for approval anddiscussing topics of interestto the membership.

Our July 2008 CommunityShabbat service will be held onJuly 12, at 10 AM.

Lunch and shop atGleiberman’s Kosher Mart on July20 at 12 noon. Join us for thiscommunity event and fulfill ourchallenge to welcome a strangerand shop together – what a greatway to meet.

August 8, we will hold a FridayNight service at 7:30 PM , and onAugust 9, we will observe ourTisha B’Av service at 7:30 PMincluding a discussion of themeaning of the 9th of Av throughhistory. More to come.

We welcome you, whether youare a stranger or not, to join ourwarm and friendly services, a

relaxed family atmosphere inwhich all Jews can feel comfort-able, and guests are always wel-come. Havurat Tikvah is an affili-ate of the Jewish ReconstructionistFederation – please feel free tovisit www.jrf.org and click onReconstructionist Judaism to learnmore about us. We celebrate allservices and many events in theFellowship Hall of St. AndrewsPresbyterian Church, 2201Springdale Ave. (at Magnolia) inthe Dilworth neighborhood ofCharlotte.

For an updated calendar andinformation for Havurat Tikvah,visit our website at www.HavuratTikvah.org or call 704-545-0894. Y

Over the Summer with Havurat Tikvah

Shavuot Celebration on June 9 at OhrHaTorah Will Feature TenCommandments and Delicious DairyFoods

As Shavuot commemorates thegiving of the Torah at MountSinai, we seek to prepare for thishistoric event in a proper andexciting way. A long held Jewishtradition has been to stay awakethe first night of Shavuot andstudy Torah into the wee hours of

the morning. The reason for thiscustom is that our Sages have saidthat the Israelites overslept on themorning of the first Shavuot. Thiswas quite disappointing, as theyshould have risen early in antici-pation of receiving the greatestgift to mankind – the Torah.

To rectify this flaw in the other-wise fantastic event of the givingof the Torah, our ancestors decid-ed to stay awake on the eve ofShavuot and occupy the night withTorah study. Ohr HaTorah willhold a Torahthon, which is a Torahmarathon, starting on Sunday June8 at midnight with a variety ofTorah study programs. This willinclude halachic dissertations onTalmudic issues as well as aninner look at the mystical side ofthe Torah. The Torahthon is opento anyone interested in participat-ing and is a great way to preparefor the reading of the TenCommandments. Refreshmentswill be served. For more informa-tion, please call Rabbi ShlomoCohen at 704-366-3984 or contacthim via email: rabbic @earth-link.net. Y


Torahthon at Ohr HaTorah on June 8

Beth Shalom of LakeNorman (www.bethshalomlkn.org) hosted more than150 at its Yom HashoahObservance in Davidson.

After a welcome forRabbi Jeremy Gerber, thecongregation’s rabbinicalintern, the crowd was takenback to the horrors of theHolocaust by Mr. HenryHirschmann of Charlotteand Mr. Manfred Katz ofStatesville. The audiencewas clearly moved by thesurvivors’ accounts of theirchildhoods cut short, theirfamilies decimated andtheir homes destroyed.

In addition, two stu-dents from STAND, ananti-Genocide Coalitionumbrella organization ofover 600 high school andcollege chapters dedicatedto putting an end to geno-cide, Rebecca Grossmanand Colleen Jose, spokeabout their organization’seffort to help bring an endto genocide.

The evening was cappedoff by candle lighting andprayer led by RabbiGerber.

The event was led byBeth Shalom member andExecutive Vice Presidentelect, Len Sadek. “It was alabor of love putting thisevent together,” heremarked. Mr. Sadek’s par-ents met when his motherwas liberated from a con-centration camp by his father.

For more information aboutBeth Shalom, including upcomingevents go to www.bslkn.org orwww.bethshalomlkn.org or call704-896-6556.About Beth Shalom of LakeNorman

Beth Shalom of Lake Normanis a Jewish congregation servingthe Lake Norman area. BethShalom (“House of Peace”) isabout family, friends and faith. Weare dedicated to developing ameaningful Jewish lifefor our members andour community. Wecome from differentbackgrounds, traditionsand practices, but we

come together as a congregation toform an extended family. Weexpress this dedication throughour commitment to foster and ful-fill the spiritual, educational andsocial needs of the Jewish commu-nity in Lake Norman. We strive tocreate inviting, participatoryatmosphere that allow each of usto connect with our Jewish spiritand identity. Family. Friends.Faith – Building the foundationfor future generations.www.bethshalomlkn.org. Y

Beth Shalom of Lake Norman HostsYom Hashoah ObservanceMore than 150 Participatein Community Event

Mr. Hirschmann recounting his Holocaustexperiences.

The candle lighting ceremony.

Rabbi Gerber making his opening comments.By Beth Davis

Temple Beth El has grown itsown youth director in Sara Bryan.Sara grew up in TBE religiousschool and Hebrew High and sheis excited about this opportunity tolead our next generation of youth.“I feel lucky and blessed that Ihave this opportunity to serve mysynagogue in such a special andmeaningful way.”

The experience of growing upJewish in Charlotte made a deepimpression on Sara. “We can’ttake our Jewishness for granted inthe South. We have to make aneffort to achieve our Jewish identi-ty and I look forward to sharingthat experience with TBE teens.”In her own youth, she was amadricha and active at TempleBeth El. As a college student atNC State, she gained experience atHillel and majored in ReligiousStudies. After graduation, Saraworked closely with students atOregon Hillel.

LIBERTY, Temple Beth El’ssenior youth group, welcomedSara at its May event. TBE youthand parents should look for herstarting July 1. Y

Temple BethEl WelcomesSara Bryanas NewYouthDirector

Mecklenburg Ministries presents Community Conversation

at Park Road Baptist Church

“Healing Our World – Tzedakah, Zakat,and Charity – What’s Next?”

June 12, 7 PM,

Park Road Baptist Church, 3900 Park Road

Panelists Rev. Russ Dean, Rahman Khan, and Rabbi JudySchindler will discuss: By whatever name you call it, our religionsshare an obligation to give and to heal our world. So how can wedo this? What is the next step?

Join us for our 6 PM SummerService and stay for dinner at 7PM ($10 per person). Dinner willbe followed by Dr. Shelley Rigger,Professor of East Asian Politics atDavidson College, 7:30–8:30 PM,the Schloss Summer Lecturer of2008.

This summer’s Olympics inBeijing are a hot topic of discus-sion not only for sports fans, butfor activists and political analystsas well. Our summer SchlossLecture, on Friday, July 11, willexplore the human rights abuses inChina that are filling the headlinesof our papers. On this topic,respected Rabbis Yitz Greenbergand Haskel Lookstein recentlywrote: “It remains our view that itwould be unconscionable for Jewsto go and enjoy the Olympics andhelp China gain internationalrespectability when it is enablingSudan’s genocide, oppressingTibet, and providing militaryassistance to Iran and Syria, andbefriending Hamas.”

Our Schloss lecturer will be Dr.Shelley Rigger, the BrownAssociate Professor of East AsianPolitics at Davidson College in theDepartment of Political Science.Dr. Rigger earned her Ph.D. fromHarvard University, where shespecialized in ComparativePolitics, Chinese Politics,American Politics andGovernment, and PoliticalAnthropology. She also holds aB.A. from Princeton University,where she studied Public andInternational Affairs and EastAsian Studies. Dr. Rigger willpresent the political side of thehuman rights abuses. Joining heron the panel will be Rabbi JudySchindler who will discuss theJewish response to this year’sforum for the Olympics, and athird panelist who will share amore personal perspective of theirexperiences in China.

This annual summer lecturewas established three years ago by

Marc and Mattye Silverman inmemory of Marc’s uncle, SimeonArchibald “Happy” Schloss, Jr.Happy was one of the originalfounders of Temple Beth El andwas a treasurer. He was passionateabout Judaism, about Temple lifeand as his name tells you, he wasalways happy. Our SchlossLecture will follow our 6:00Summer Shabbat service. We willbegin with dinner at 7:00 and withthe lecture immediately following.For more information pleasecontact Stephanie DiPaolo at 704-749-3051 or email [email protected]. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News -June-July 2008 -

Subject to availability and qualifications. Insurance offered only with select companies. Allstate InsuranceCompany, Allstate indemnity Company, Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and AllstateLife Insurance Company: Northbrook, Illinois ©2008 Allstate Insurance Company.

Schloss Summer LectureThe Olympics: To Watch or Not toWatch?

On May 12,during theannual meetingheld at theTemple, thenew officersand board ofdirectors wereelected. Theyare AdamBernstein –P r e s i d e n t ,Moira QuinnKlein – First Vice President, RickGlaser – VP of Planning, MikeYaffe – VP of Administration,Leslie Archer – VP of Education,Kathy Rosenfeld – VP of Finance,Peter Katz – Treasurer, MickeyAberman – Recording Secretary,Jonathan Howard - ImmediatePast President, and Norm Levin –Honorary Lifetime President.

Elected for a three-year termwere Sera Callif, Amy Lefkof,Mike Martin, Gene Meyers, andRenee Schreibman. Elected for atwo-year term were Jeff Bierer,Judy Seldin Cohen, JackLevinson, Tammy Menaker andMilt Poler. Elected for a one yearterm were Larry Fleishman, PeterHindel, Marshall Lindner, MartinMulter and Larry Schwartz.

Our Brotherhood PresidentBrian Emery and Women ofReform Judaism President CorineBockenek will serve on the boardas will Lindsay London our LIB-ERTY representative. ShirleyFytelson serves on the board as anHonorary Lifetime Board Memberand Susan Cernyak Spatz andSid Sussman are presidentialappointees to the board. Y

Temple BethEl’s NewBoard ofDirectors

Adam Bernstein


The gentle drumming of fingerson the darbouka drum accompa-nies the lilting singing of a word-less melody. The “nee-goon” is atonce relaxing and mesmerizing.By the time the prayer begins,congregants have been drawn intoa spiritual frame of mind. Now,they are truly ready to welcomethe Sabbath. This is the power ofmusic.

Throughout our Jewish history,music has been used to praise,reflect, rejoice and pray together.The psalms were meant to besung, not recited responsively.Temple Or Olam honors Jewishmusical traditions by incorporat-ing music into all services, holidayparties, and events. Sephardic,Ashkenazi, Mizrachi, Israeli, andAmerican Jewish music are allpart of the repertoire.

We also create new traditions.In addition to the handdrum and singing,Friday night prayers areusually accompanied bya couple of guitarists, ateenage bassist whoplays Pink Floyd songswhen she’s not playingat services, and, often, ateenage accordionist orpiano player. Some otherinstruments you might hear atservices are banjo (have you everheard a bluegrass version of HinayMah Tov?) violin, and flute. Themusic sets the mood, alternately

joyful and contemplative.But music is not a spectator

sport at Temple Or Olam. Beforemany services, a basket of rhythm

instruments is passedaround, and children andadults alike grab tam-bourines, maracas, and theever-popular “shakyeggs,” all of which turnupbeat melodies into aparty. Of course there isalso the instrument thateach congregant bringswith him or her – the

voice. This is not a congregationthat sits silently while a rabbi orcantor sings prayers. Voices ringout, often in rounds taught by thechildren, who learned them at reli-

gious school. It doesn’t matter ifyour voice is opera quality or“singing in the shower” quality;it’s welcome here.

Torah portions are chanted onthe fourth Friday of every month.(On the second Friday we hold ashorter, child-centered service.)Sometimes the melody is thefamiliar trope that you hear atmany American synagogues, butother times you might hearBaghdadi trope, a Middle Easternmelody with a very differentsound, exotic to western ears.

Coming up in July 25, at 7 PM,will be Temple Or Olam’s firstBeatles service. The spirit or senti-ment of each part of the servicewill be interpreted and expressedthrough a Beatles song. Come pre-pared for something new.

If you’re interested in hearingmore of the music of Temple OrOlam, there are two CD’s avail-able for purchase: “LikratShabbat,” a collection of Shabbatsongs, and “Musika Olam,” aselection of Jewish world music.

But the best way to experiencethe music is to join us for a serv-ice. Services are held the 2nd and4th Fridays of the month, at 7 PMat McGill Baptist Church inConcord.

For information on services, orto order CDs, please visit our web-site, www.or-olam.org, email us [email protected], or call 704-720-7577. Y

Innovative Music is at the Heart of OrOlam’s Friday Night Services

Ralf Thiede playing the darboukadrum at a Havdallah service.

WOMEN’S NEWS

CHAPTERS invites you to joinus for our final book group meet-ing this year on Sunday June 29 at3 PM in the Levine-Sklut JudaicLibrary and Resource Center:Seven Days to the Sea: An EpicNovel of the Exodus by RebeccaKohn.

This book, about Miriam(Moses’ sister) and Tzippora(Moses’ wife,) introduces us tosome of the rivalries and bridges

that might have needed crossingbetween these two women fromdifferent backgrounds whose rela-tionships to each other and withMoses had great complexity.

Amalia Warshenbrot, whoseeducational background is in bibli-cal literature, and says this book is“better than The Red Tent,” will beour discussion leader that day.

To reserve a copy or for theCenter’s hours, please call 704-

944-6783 Amalia purchased twocopies, available for our use. Y

CHAPTERS to Discuss “SevenDays to the Sea”

Community News

* 4th – Year* 11 – Fascinating films * 1,294 – Total number of atten-

dees * 36%– Increase in attendance

from 2007* 39 Pounds of Love – Film

receiving the highest audience rat-ing

* 2 – Prize winners. Out of 589audience survey respondents, twopeople won all-access passes tonext year’s Festival. Mazel tov toRuth Goldberg and BeckyBamford!

* 17.3 – Percent of audiencesurvey respondents who said theyfirst heard about the Festival froma friend. Thank you for helping usspread the word!!

* 60 – Volunteers. TheCharlotte Jewish Film Festival isvolunteer-driven.

* 100s – Hours of planning* 41 – Patrons* 24 – Company and Corporate

Sponsorships* 9 – Community Partnering

Organizations includingPresenting Sponsors the LevineJCC and the Charlotte Chapter ofHadassah

* 1 – Arts & Science Councilgrant

* 5th –Anniversary the Festivalwill be celebrating next year.Please join us! Mark you calen-dars for February 28 - March 8,2009.

Do you want to get involved

with the 2009 Festival? Please seewww.charlottejewishfilm.com,email us at [email protected] or contact our VolunteerCoordinator Ellyn Gross, [email protected]. Y

By the Numbers: The 2008 CharlotteJewish Film Festival

By Alan KronovetThis month I assume the presi-

dency of the Foundation for theCharlotte Jewish Community(FCJC). I am following in thefootsteps of my good friend andlong time community leader RichOsborne. Rich served as thePresident of FCJC for the past twoyears and as he outlined in his arti-cle last month it was an actionpacked two years. The FCJC hasbenefited from Rich’s leadershipand I look forward to his contin-ued involvement and friendshipover the next two years.

As the FCJC has evolved so hasits focus in accomplishing its mis-sion. The addition of PhilWarshauer as our full timeExecutive Director was an impor-tant first step in our development.Over the next two years the focusof FCJC will be three fold. First,FCJC will continue to serve as thecommunity liaison with theFoundation For The Carolinas

(FFTC) working with FFTC toensure proper stewardship of theover $40 million entrusted toFCJC by our community agenciesand individual members of theCharlotte Jewish community.Second, FCJC is a resource. Whenindividuals or agencies have ques-tions about establishing endow-ments, donor advised funds andestate planning FCJC has theknowledge and experience to pro-vide support to the organizationsand individuals that comprise ourcommunity. Our third focus willbe on the growth of our plannedgiving program.

My primary focus for the nexttwo years will be to grow thefunds held at FCJC for the benefitof the agencies of our community.The importance of the growth ofplanned giving can not be under-estimated. As the services provid-ed by the agencies expand to meetthe increasing demand of our com-munity the need for long term

financing becomes more critical toensure the viability of these serv-ices. A key tool to be utilized byFCJC toward this effort will be toconvene monthly EndowmentEducational Sessions where com-munity agencies get together todiscuss the process of developingplanned giving efforts. The first ofthese meetings was held in Apriland we look forward to the contin-ued participation of our communi-ty leaders. Another key tool willbe for Phil and representatives ofFCJC and the community agenciesto meet one on one with donors tolet them know about the greatwork being done in the communi-ty and to determine opportunitiesfor them to provide long termfinancing to ensure that these pro-grams continue.

These meetings will be aboutopening a dialogue between ourdonors and our community agen-cies. We hope to learn more abouteach other during this process.With the assistance of FCJC, andin coordination with FFTC, wewill also help to educate donors

about the many creative ways thatthey can help to create a legacythat will support our Jewish com-munity.

I am looking forward to thenext two years and the opportuni-ties we have to secure a stablefinance future for our community.As always, if you should have anyquestions about planned giving orthe Foundation for the CharlotteJewish Community please feelfree to contact either Phil or me. Y

Alan Kronovet is the currentBoard Chair for the Foundationfor the Charlotte Jewish

Community. For more informationor questions about endowment orplanned giving please contact PhilWarshauer, Director for PlannedGiving, Foundation for theCharlotte Jewish Community at704-973-4544 or [email protected].


500 Providence Road Telephone 704-332-7133

CELEBRATING

O U R1 2 5 t h

ANNIVERSARY

New Leadership at FCJC

The One for All Ball SteeringCommittee is pleased to announcethat both Wachovia and Bank ofAmerica will be lead sponsors forthe upcoming One for All Ball tobe held on September 6 at theWestin Hotel. “The support fromthese important Charlotte institu-tions is a testament to both bank’scommitment to the Jewish com-munity and to our honorees, theWilliam and Shelton Gorelickfamilies” said Roni Fishkin, chairof the OFAB Steering Committee.

Once again, The One for AllBall, which is held every otheryear, will be the largest centralfundraiser for the Jewish commu-nity. This cooperative endeavordemonstrates the community spir-it that lives at Shalom Park. Thefundraising goal for 2008 is$250,000.

The Herman BlumenthalCommitment to Communityaward created as a tribute toHerman Blumenthal to memorial-ize his legacy of gen-erosity and devotion toour community will bepresented to theWilliam and SheltonGorelick Families fortheir significant con-tributions to Charlotteand leadership withinthe Jewish community.The Gorelick families’involvement and passionate com-mitment to the Jewish communityembodies the legacy that Mr.Blumenthal strived to create.

Both families have played anintegral role in the Jewish commu-nity. Shelton served as presidentof both the Foundation of ShalomPark and the Jewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte. He plays lead-ership roles at Carolinas MedicalCenter and the Mint Museum andis involved in a variety of othervolunteer endeavors.

The next generation includesScott and Dana Gorelick and Jeffand Bari Gorelick here inCharlotte, Pamela Gorelick inIsrael, and five grandchildren.This generation’s leadershipinvolvements include board posi-tions at the Foundation for ShalomPark, the Levine JewishCommunity Center, the JewishFederation of Greater Charlotteamong others.

Bill served as president ofTemple Israel and JewishFederation of Greater Charlotte.He has been on the boards of alarge number of Charlotte organi-zations including the CharlotteSymphony Orchestra, the Arts andScience Council and QueensCollege Learning Society. Bill andPatty have three children and eightgrandchildren. Todd and StacyGorelick, Marcelle and Dan Peckand Rael and Gabi Gorelick alllive in Charlotte and have madetheir mark in leadership capacities

at the Jewish Federation ofGreater Charlotte, the LevineJewish Community Center,the Charlotte Jewish DaySchool and The CharlotteTorah Center, among others.

The Gorelick families,along with the Luskis, havealso created a lasting legacy intheir gift to the Foundation ofthe Carolinas. The organiza-

tion’s new building on TradeStreet bears the names of bothfamilies in recognition of the gen-erous donation they made to thefoundation so that it was able toexpand its philanthropic servicesin the area.

Highlights of the evening willinclude a special pre-party cock-tail reception, gourmet food, aspecial video tribute to theGorelick families and music byBig Swing and the BallroomBlasters. Y

Wachovia and BankAmerica Show Support forthe Charlotte JewishCommunity

It’s easy to imagine that thediverse sports available in NorthCarolina might attract someone tolive here, but would you believethat the “unrestricted access toCheerwine” is among MarthaYesowitch’s favorite things inCharlotte?

It wasn’t just the tasty localsoft drink that brought Martha,Brian and Asher here. Brian’scompany, International SpeedwayCorporation, relocated his divi-sion, MRN Radio, to Concord.Though his work has brought himacross the US – the KentuckyDerby, The Breeders’ Cup, thePGA, NFL Football, Coca Cola600, top ranked boxing – his cur-rent assignment as a producer forSPRINT Vision is perfectly situat-ed here in the heart of racing.

The Yesowitch family movedfrom Deland, FL, a small collegetown 20 miles west of DaytonaBeach (“Think Davidson withpalm trees,” Martha says in anattempt to perfectly describe herformer home). But here inCharlotte they seem to have founda comfortable place to call home.

Two-year-old Asher’s needstook precedence when the familyarrived here, so swimming lessonsat the Levine JCC were one of thefirst things they signed up for.With a Masters in Library Sciencefrom the University of SouthCarolina, Martha also “checkedout” the local libraries right away,too. ‘The storytimes at the SouthCounty Library and the Plaza-Midwood branch are great,” sherecommends.

The family feels that Charlotteis so great because it can be allthings to all people. It can be“Long Island” if you want it to be;it can be “New England”; it can bethe “Midwest.” “The area seemsto have grown more diverse aseach new industry and trendcomes to town,” they say. “Thereis a definite method to the mad-ness that makes Charlotte some-what resistant to the economic dif-ficulties the rest of the country isexperiencing.” Brian likes theexcitement generated by theregion’s college sports. Marthalikes how easy it has been to makefriends. Asher’s needs are moresimple: he loves the slides atDavie Park.

Their advice to people thinkingabout moving to the area: “Ifyou’re interested in Jewish associ-ations, this city has everything. Dowhat makes you comfortable –whether you’re a Hadassah mem-ber, a softball player or a pokerplayer – this town can accommo-date all of those interests. We cantell you, you won’t get bored andyou certainly won’t be lonely.” Y


SouthPark’s most prestigious hotel. Surrounded by retail shopping,dinning, and entertainment venues. Features 124 beautifully decorated guest rooms and suites. We offer special Bridal, Shopping, and Couple’s Night Out Packages. Select rooms featurebalconies, patios, mini refrigerators, microwaves, whirlpools, andgarden bathtubs. Two room suites feature full refrigerators, microwaves, sofa, recliner, end tables, and select suites have awhirlpool spa and fireplace.

Hampton Inn & SuitesSouthPark at Phillips Place

704-319-5700 • www.hamptonsouthpark.com

Are you anewcomer to

Charlotte?

Would you like to be featured in this new andgrowing section of The

Charlotte Jewish News?We are looking for

people who have beenhere less than a year who wouldn’t mind

answering a few questions and sitting for

a photograph. Please call 704-944-6765

if you or someone youknow would like to be

our next Newcomer feature family.

Are you theowner or

propietor of abusiness

that would beof interest tonewcomers?

Let them know who andwhere you are by

advertising in the new Newcomer’s Resources

Guide.

NEWCOMERSResourcesResources

Closest Hotel to Shalom Park

Newcomers

Martha, Asher and Brian Yesowitch

LJCC Oasis Senior EnrichmentProgram participants partnered forfour weeks with UMAR ArtsCenter adult students to paint anddecoupage art boxes. These boxeswere then filled with garden sup-plies, seeds and tools. The com-pleted boxes were presented to theMetro School students, an innercity Charlotte school, in supportof their Ceramic SculptureGarden. The Sculpture Garden isunder the artistic guidance of theMcColl Center for Visual Art.

The Oasis Senior Adults reallyenjoyed their time with theUMAR students.

Lynn Gelper, a talented Oasisparticipant, and her daughterLauren Komarczyk, helped teachthe decoupage craft. They wereassisted by JFS staff Bea Gibbsand Erin Goldstein.

UMAR students, under thedirection of Eileen Schwartz,attend art classes at the newUMAR Arts Center in NODA.UMAR is a 25 year old agencythat serves and supports the needsof developmentally disabledadults.

The LJCC Oasis SeniorEnrichment Program is a placewhere seniors gather daily tosocialize, pursue intellectual stim-ulation, and participate in physicaland health promotional programs.Gourmet kosher meals are pre-pared by a professional chef threedays per week. All active, inde-pendent adults age 50+ are wel-come to join.

For more information about theOasis Senior Enrichment Programplease contact Linda Bass,Senior Adult Program Director,704-944-6735, [email protected]. Y

Collaborative MitzvahProject with JCC OasisSenior EnrichmentProgram, UMAR ArtsCenter Students, JFS, andthe McColl Center

Oasis members with Metro School stu-dents.

Joshua Harold RubinPlumbing, LLC

LICENSED - BONDED - INSURED

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

Layouts for slabs - Rough-in and FinishWater Heater Repairs and Replacement

Kitchen/Bath RemodelingToilets, Tubs, Faucets, Sink, and Disposal Repairs/Replacement

Josh is a native Charlottean and attended the former Charlotte Hebrew Academy

~ 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE ~

704-517-4918 150*165843*1

By Lorrie Klemons, PublicityThe beautiful holiday of

Passover is long gone. We havelong finished reading the story ofour exodus from Egypt.Passover items arepacked neatly awayuntil next year’s cele-bration. The Passoverseason always gets methinking about our his-torical and wondrousbeginnings as a Jewishnation. I think about ourfreedom from slaveryand what it must have been like tobe at Mt. Sinai during the receiv-ing of the Ten Commandmentsand the Torah. I think about thethunder and lightning that accom-panied God’s first and onlyappearance before the people ofIsrael. The receiving of the Torahat Mt. Sinai was the most signifi-cant event in our people’s history.It offered us a blue print for holi-ness and good living that is stilladhered to today. It offered theworld an example of civilizationand global community founded onvalues of honesty, integrity, moral-ity, faith, education, and ethics.

America has come to a point intime that requires a lot of soulsearching. What has happened toour morality? To our integrity? Toour faith? Every day we are bom-

barded with lapses in the human-ness that makes being human sounique. At the expense of sound-ing political, I have spent a lot of

time thinking about themessages of all threepolitical figures in thepresidential race. I listento what they have to say.I try to decide whichcandidate will offer thebest shot for gettingAmerica back on trackas the great nation that itonce was. Who will be

the candidate to bridge the globalgap that gets wider each day? Whowill be the one to fix an economythat finds so many of us in suchdire straits? Who will be the great-est supporter of Israel, maintain-ing America as Israel’s strongestally? I think about the freedomsthat my family and I enjoy, andwonder which candidate will bestrally for the maintenance of thosefreedoms for humanity at large.

In the month of May we cele-brated two holidays: Yom HaShoah and Yom Hatzmaut. OnYom Ha Shaoh we rememberedsix million of our fellow Jews whowere slaughtered because of theirfaith. Shortly after that, we cele-brated the birthday of Israel, YomHatzmaut. And this year we cele-brated the miracle of 60 years.

This spring we must all pray forall of the civilized world’s armedforces and hope for a peacefulworld. This spring we must main-tain our optimism about thehealthy future of Jewish life herein America and throughout the restof the world. This year we mustpray for our homeland, Israel, as itonce again faces the voraciousuproar and annihilating threats ofits neighbors. This spring we mustcommit to perpetuating the memo-ries of those Jews who precededus in eternal life.

Make your commitment rightnow. Whether you are young orold … healthy or sick … you oweit to yourself and your family to bepart of Charlotte’s Hebrew ceme-tery. The Hebrew CemeteryAssociation of Charlotte is com-mitted to the continued provisionand maintenance of a sanctifiedand holy final resting place for itsfellow Jews. An independentJewish institution unaffiliated withany local religious organization,the Association is made up of localJews who care about each other …in life and in death.

For more information aboutmembership benefits, graves, pre-paid funeral costs, or endowmentdonations, call Cemetery DirectorJoe Kodsi at 704-576-1859 or704-321-3537.

Directions to the cemetery:Take Providence Rd. into uptown;turn right on Graham Street andstay on Graham for about twomiles; bear left onto Statesville

Avenue; the cemetery will beabout ¼ mile down the road onyour left. Y


Hebrew Cemetery Association

Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Resource Center

Summer HoursSunday – Closed

Monday – 9 AM-4:30 PMTuesday – Closed

Wednesday – 9 AM-4:30 PMThursday – 9 AM-4:30 PM

Friday – 9 AM-1 PM

Visit the Levine-Sklut Judaiclibrary & Resource Centerfrom the convenience of yourhome: Our new web-site isw w w. l e v i n e - s k l u t j u d a i clibrary.org. You will find thereeverything you always wantedto know.

Joanna Rose is excited to get to meet Hillary Clintonwhen the presidential candidate made a campaign

stop in Charlotte.

WITH THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO WALTER J. KLEIN

In last month’s Jewish Traveler column, “There’s No Place Like Home,” by Maxine Silverstein,The Charlotte Jewish News neglected to attribute the source of Maxine’s information. The storyused, among others, the pamphlets and brochures of Walter J. Klein, who has gathered and writ-ten about so much of the Jewish history of the Carolinas.

The material used includes “By Street and Number: Two Centuries of Charlotte Jewish Life”and “A Jewish Tour of the Carolinas.” Walter has contributed to the Charlotte Jewish HistoricalSociety’s archives, ancestry.com, Ancestry magazine, the American Jewish Archives inCincinnati, the exhibits “Seventh Street to Shalom Park” and “The Treasures of Temple Beth El.”We are all richer due to his hard work and devotion to archiving our history.

Larry Horowitz, CLU, ChFCL2 Financial5950 Fairview Road, Suite 608Charlotte, NC 28210704-556-9982, Fax: 704-369-2918

Helping in the CREATION, PRESERVATION &DISTRIBUTION of your Estate

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered throughWoodbury Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC andRegistered Investment Advisor. L2 Financial and WoodburyFinancial Services, Inc., are not affiliated entities.

You can be sure that every timeyou read a story in the newspaperabout the price of groceries goingup 40% or gas prices rising againor jobs being slashed, people inour community are being affected.And Jewish Family Services isprepared to help.

A young woman needs newtires for her car. Without safe tran-spiration, she has no way to get towork to support her two children.A one-time tzedakah loan gets herback on the road.

A retired man going through about of depression falls behind inhis bills when his disability claimis denied. JFS steps in with thecash to cover his utility bills justbefore Piedmont Natural Gas andDuke Energy would have cut himoff. With emergency monetaryhelp coupled with therapy andperhaps a referral to a doctor formedication or to legal services to

contest the disability denial, spe-cial funding prevents a short-termemergency from becoming a long-term crisis.

Perhaps a serious illness putsthe cost of replacing a conked-outfurnace out of reach. Maybe a hus-band loses his job just when hiswife is home on maternity leave.These and any number of unantic-ipated scenarios can send a familywho already watches their penniesand budgets carefully into a tail-spin. It can happen to any one ofus.

Jewish families have a place toturn when an unexpected blow tothe budget threatens to turn theirlives upside down. Oftentimes, itonly takes a few hundred dollarsto fill the gap and avert ongoingfinancial crises.

This is where the money raisedduring the JFS Friends Campaigngoes – to an organization dedicat-ed to serving as a resource forfriends and neighbors who needhelp helping themselves, and infact may be seeking help for thefirst time in their lives.

We all know that hunger topsthe list of the most serious prob-lems in a difficult economy.Earlier this spring, the students ofShalom Park, neighborhood busi-nesses, congregations and individ-uals filled our pantry withPassover items so that Jewish fam-ilies could properly celebrate thePassover. This fall, that same gen-erosity will prevail again for ourcommunity with apples and honeyand challahs for Rosh Hashanah.But hunger persists beyond theholiday seasons.

We are certain that you sharethe commitment to help ourJewish friends and neighbors befree from hunger every day of theyear. We are certain that you sharethe commitment to ensure mem-bers of our community are able tosurvive a short-term emergencywithout losing their homes, theircars or their self-respect. We are

certain that you share the commit-ment to provide a safe harbor andhealing to those suffering loss,depression and anxiety.

The Friends Campaign has aface. Many faces, from manywalks of life. The board of JewishFamily Services is asking all ablemembers of our community tomake a donation to the 2008 JFSFriends Campaign. When youbecome a Friend of Jewish FamilyServices, you join a long traditionof Jews taking care of Jews. L’DorV’Dor. We give not as an obliga-tion, but as a mitzvah. Your gift toone strengthens many. Thank youfor participating in Jewish FamilyServices Friends Campaign, forbeing a partner in our mission anda source of strength to our com-munity.

You can make your donation online at www.jfscharlotte.org ormail your check to Jewish FamilyServices, Friends Campaign, 5007Providence Road, Suite 105,Charlotte, NC 28226. Y


704-568-0028

Coupon expires 7/31/08

With this coupon when schedulingregular service.

Not valid with any other offers. Coupon expires 7/31/08

With this coupon when schedulingregular service.

Not valid with any other offers. Coupon expires 7/31/08

On a SpringCleaningSave $25

Save $50Save $25.00 on your 1st visit,

Save $15.00 on your 2nd visit,

Save $10.00 on your 3rd visit.

SAVE$100

On your initial

cleaning with our

Preferred Customer

Program.

Call for details!

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICESJewish Family Services Friends CampaignTzedakah in Action

Jeff Turk, chair, Friends Campaign

Want a quick route to making adifference? Become a MitzvahMaker for Jewish FamilyServices. JFS is in need of driversto take clients to doctor’s appoint-ments, cooks to prepare tastyhome-made meals once a month,

administrative help and answeringphones in the office, senior out-reach – friendly visits and phonecalls. For more information,call Susan Proctor, VolunteerCoordinator, at 704-364-6594. Y

A Shout Out for Volunteers

A Big Thank You to the tem-ples, the Youth Soccer Team andthe individuals who respondedwith such generosity to our recentshortage in the food pantry. A spe-cial word of thanks to an amazing-ly efficient network of youngwomen who put the word out andbrought in results in record time.As all food banks feel the pinch ofthis economy, we and our clientsappreciate your continued gen-erosity. Y

Thanks forHelping

MitzvahMakerCooks forApril

Jane Vatz Abel, Linda Babich,Evelyn Berger, Ida Berman, PennyEisenberg, Iris Friedlander, RuthGoldberg, Katherine Goldstein,Roberta Malickson, DiggiePesakoff, Linda Rothman, PeggyRovman, Ginger Snitz, MarciaStern

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TODorothy and Stuart Blumner

from Ruth and Julius SilvermanHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Jeffrey Lyons from Ruth andJulius Silverman, Esther and FredGlickman, Lillian and IrvingBienstock

Bennett Lyons from Ruth andJulius Silverman, Esther and FredGlickman, Lillian and IrvingBienstock

Mickey Lyons from Esther andFred Glickman

Bobby Selkin’s from Sue andMatt Coben, Donna and ToddBirnberg, Lindsay and Joey Smith

Seymour Zydner’s from Fredand Lyn Lippman

Mrs. Barbara Sussman fromRuth and Alan Goldberg

Dr. Cynthia Abrams from Ruthand Alan Goldberg

Douglas Mann from ArthurSklar

Eric Sklut from Jill and EdNewmanBEST WISHES FOR A FULLAND SPEEDY RECOVERYTO

Andrew Wasserman fromAudrey Madans

Anita Shapiro from Jill and EdNewman, Harriet and Mark Perlin

Simon Estroff from EvelynBergerMAZEL TOV ON

The marriage of your son toAlyce Levin from Jill and EdNewman

The birth of James Wheeler,grandson of Ginger and Jim Kelly,from Steve and Sandy Hoagland

Adrienne Krovovet’s BatMitzvah, from JFSIN HONOR OF

Bea Gibbs from Renate and

Stefan BergerLynn Sheffer for all of her won-

derful community service fromShel and Ellen Goldstein

JCC Gefilte Fish fund from JFSIN MEMORY OF

Blanche Hirschmann, belovedwife of Henry Hirschmann, fromLawrence and Sheila Margolisand family, Esther and FredGlickman

Bobbi Monosoff fromLawrence and Sheila Margolisand family

Sessie Ransenberg, belovedmother of David Ransenberg,Shel and Ellen Goldstein

Anita Bernhaut to SulyChenkin, from Harriet and JerryAllweiss, Barbara and MarshallRosenfeld, Linda and Bob Isser,Michelle and Barry Goodman

Oscar Sugar to Dorothy Sugarand family from Celia Mandel,Ruth and Jerry Hannes, CecileRose, Dorothy Schulman, MyrtleGoldstein

Bernie Schuster, beloved hus-band of Penny Wagner-Schuster,from the Staff and BoardMembers of JFS

Bobby Greene to Mrs. BarbieGreene and Sons from Esther andFred Glickman

Leon Tigler, beloved husbandof Jane Tigler, from Evelyn Berger

Lillian Cantor, beloved grand-mother of David Cantor, fromAudrey Madans

Lou Goldsticker, beloved fatherof Jodi Cohen, from AudreyMadans

Norton Birnbach, belovedfather of Sandy Hoagland, fromAudrey Madans, Lillian andIrving Bienstock

The brother-in-law of Jill

Newman from Sheila and LeeKritzer

Sally, to Tom Frank and family,from Audrey Madans Y

Because of the transient natureof Charlotte and the Jewish com-munity of the 21st century in gen-eral, many families are separatedby great distances. This has leftyoung Jewish families and singleswithout the local multigenera-tional support structure that was soreadily available in past genera-tions. With so many activitiesvying for the attention of today’syoung Jews and the increasingrates of interfaith marriages andassimilation in general, it isbecoming more challenging toensure future generations share astrong sense of Jewish identity. It

has also left many “EmptyNesters” and seniors without thestrong ties to the Jewish communi-ty they had while raising theirfamilies.

The idea arose to bridge thisgap by connecting the two groups.Bernstein Leadership Group ClassVI and Jewish Family Services arejoining forces to launch a smallpilot program by fall called BigBubbies/Big Zaydes. The purposeof Big Bubbies/Big Zaydes is tofoster Jewish continuity and com-munity by connecting young fam-ilies in the Charlotte communitywith those who are more estab-

lished.The goals of the group are:1. Provide young Jewish fami-

lies with a source of guidance,Jewish history and family tradi-tions. 2. Provide Jewish “EmptyNesters” and seniors with a con-nection into the younger Jewishcommunity in Charlotte and theopportunity to feel needed, espe-cially around Shabbat and otherJewish holidays.

Singles of all ages moving toCharlotte are also encouraged toparticipate. Oftentimes, it takesbeing ‘adopted’ by someone moreestablished to ease the way into

becoming an active member of theJewish community.

There are already ten youngfamilies lined up to participate inthe program. We are now shiftingattention to identifying somepotential “bigs” who can helpensure the pilot is a success andleads to the roll-out of a larger pro-gram. There’s no rigid schedule,no fixed number of hours, just awillingness to listen and share.There’s such richness we canbring to each other. If you, or

someone you know, would beinterested in finding out moreinformation, have some ideasabout the program or may consid-er becoming a Big Bubbie or BigZayde, you can call StephanieStarr at Jewish Family Services at704-364-6594 or either of the Co-Chairs of the Bernstein LeadershipGroup Big Bubbies/Big ZaydesProject, David Levin at 704-708-4655 or Karen Spiegler 704-541-5677. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News - Jun-July 2008 -

Youth Visions Dewey Jenkins, Owner

Safety CheckCatch a small problem

before it becomes a large one.Save on electric bills.

$20 OFF$89$69

Here’s What You Get:w Oil All Motorsw Check Air Filtersw Check Thermostatw Check Freon

w Check Operationw Check All Electricw Check Outdoor Coilw Check Safeties

704-357-0484May not be combined with other offers.

Coupon must be presented at time of service.

704-357-0484May not be combined with other offers.

Coupon must be presented at time of service.JN JN

Any RepairAir Conditioners w Heat Pumps w Furnaces

We Service All Brands

Bridging the Generations with Big Bubbies/Big Zaydes

Donations to Jewish Family Services inApril 2008

Members of BBYO show their love for Israel.

On May 4, 1500people inCharlotte partic-ipated in “Walkthe Land” - 100cities across theglobe created aunified networkfor the first timeever to walk incelebration ofIsrael’s 60thAnniversary.

DR. JEFFREY I. MUSLER & ASSOCIATES, P.A.

Independent Doctors of Optometry Adjacent to Lens Crafters

South Park Mall

4400 Sharon Rd.

Charlotte, NC 28211

(704) 364-7982

Carolina Place Mall

11025 Carolina Place Pkwy.

Pineville, NC 28134

(704) 541-8232

By Nancy ZolotorofeWhen the Klarberg family

decided to move from Israel toCharlotte in February, theirbiggest fear was how their five-year-old son, Bari, would handlethe change. “We knew it wouldn’tbe easy to leave our friends andfamily, but we were most worriedabout what a big step this wouldbe for Bari,” says his father, DovKlarberg, who works forDiamonds Direct in Southpark.“Besides taking him to an unfa-miliar place, Bari only knew a lit-tle bit of English, such as colors,animals, and basic phrases, like‘hello,’ and ‘please.’”

Thankfully, the Klarberg’s fearswere eased when they toured TheJewish Preschool on Sardis beforetheir move. Bari’s parents, Dovand his mother, Keren, met withpreschool director Jen Lahn, assis-tant director Leah Levin, and for-mer director Fern Sanderson “Wecouldn’t have asked for a betterreception or a warmer place,” saysDov.

During Bari’s first week at thepreschool, his mom stayed in hisclassroom to make her son feelmore comfortable and to helptranslate. But soon the caring staffat JPS took over. Rabbi Groner,Morah Pessie Weiss, and Rabbi

Levin frequently dropped byBari’s classroom to talk with thenew Israeli student in Hebrew toexplain school routines and les-sons and to find out if Bari hadany questions or concerns. Theywere also “on call” when hisfours’ teacher, Erica Katz, whospeaks only a small amount ofHebrew, needed any assistancewith communication. “Bari is abright, friendly boy, and he caughton to our classroom routine soquickly,” says Erica. “He’s a love-ly addition to our group.”

His class seconds that emotion.“Before Bari’s first day, Iexplained to my students that achild from Israel was joining thegroup,” says Erica. “I tried to havethem imagine what it would belike if they went into a class whereno one spoke their language. The

kids were curious about the newboy, and when he arrived, theywere very welcoming. In fact,whenever the other students heardBari say an English word, they gotso excited and ran across the room

to tell me. And sometimes whenthey’re building with blockstogether, the other students pre-tend to speak Hebrew to Bari; hegoes along with it and talks backin real Hebrew. Bari says, ‘I like toteach my friends Hebrew becauseI know the language well, and theyare teaching me English becausethey are better at that language.’”

Bari’s parents point out that theindividualized attention their sonreceived at JPS definitely helpedsmooth his transition to Charlotte.It also helps that The Queen Cityis similar is many ways to theirnative area of Israel, including thegreen scenery, family-focusedatmosphere, and great weather.Still, Bari has been excited abouttrying new things, such as CoachDan’s sports class at the JCC andlearning how to play baseball.“Bari’s becoming Americanalready,” laughs Dov. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2008 - Page 20

Schools

704.358.5910

All New Canvases — Free lessons— Unique Gift Ideas —

New and Old Customers Very Welcome

Best Selection in Charlotte

All Proceeds Go to Local Charities

3802 Columbine Circle704-366-6765

Open Thursdays9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Yours Truly Needlepoint and Knitting

Handpainted Needlepoint Canvases

Student Spotlight: Coming to America

Bari Klarberg is excited about goingto his new school, The JewishPreschool on Sardis.

Left: Rabbi Levinhelps pint-sizedbakers pour flourinto the mixingbowl.

Right: Alana Weiserdons a baker’s hat

and rolls out doughwith her mom,Lauren Weiser.

“I’ll take Manhattan, the Bronxand ….” And we did! For ourannual travel studies program, theBarbara and Jerry Levin JewishMiddle School traveled to NewYork City for a taste — a koshertaste — of the Big Apple. FromTimes Square in Manhattan toYankee Stadium in the Bronx toCrown Heights and Borough Parkin Brooklyn, we walked andwalked and rode trains, buses,taxicabs and ferry boats. We evencrossed the river into New Jerseyto explore the awesome LibertyScience Center.

We were moved and inspired at770 Eastern Parkway in CrownHeights; we were overwhelmed by

the beauty of the newly restoredEldridge Street synagogue on theLower East Side; and we gained alittle more understanding at theOrchard Street tenement museumof how many of our ancestorslived when they first came toAmerica.

Not only did we nourish ourminds, our bodies were well takencare of, too. From kosher fastfoods to upscale dining experi-ences, Chinese and Italian food, itwas all fun and delicious. AtYankee Stadium we enjoyed hotdogs and knishes from the kosherconcession. In Borough Park weput calories aside and indulgedourselves at the Candy Man after

having had all kinds of ice creamtreats at the local ice cream parlor.On the Lower East Side wesavored pickles from the PickleGuy’s – at 10:00 in the morning.Yum!

Being Jewish and living aJewish life in New York Cityseemed so comfortable and so nat-ural and so uncomplicated! We’llall “take Manhattan, the Bronxand ….!”

If you have any questions aboutthe Barbara and Jerry LevinJewish Middle School, please con-tact Sandy Hirschman at 704-366-4558 or [email protected]. Y

BJLJMS Travels to New York City

In honor of Pesach, students at The Jewish Preschool on Sardis were treated to a hands-onglimpse of matzah-making at The Model Matza Bakery, led by Rabbi Yisroel Levin.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FUN IN NEW YORK

By Michelle Bamford61,020. This is the number of

miles I have driven over the pasteight years to transport my threechildren to the Charlotte JewishPreschool. The number mightseem high, but, as I live inHarrisburg, NC, my commute is alittle longer than most. Since I likenumbers, I count other special pre-school memories over the pastyears. There have been sevenBagels and Blocks and Teas forTwo, I have gone to Israel fivetimes (imaginary, of course), Ihave five handmade Seder plates,eight handmade graggers, havebeen to eight school Seders and, inMay, will attend my third pre-school graduation. Where has thetime gone?

Sending my children to CJPwas an easy choice for me becauseof its developmental approach tolearning, Jewish environment, andexcellent reputation. I decided toenroll my oldest daughter, Carly,in the threes program. I survivedher transition into the classroomwith just a handful of teary good-

byes. She loved the school and herteachers and we both made somegood friends. Leah, my seconddaughter, also started preschool inthe threes program. After spendinga year in the car back and forth toCJP, Leah was eagerly ready to go.Jake, my youngest, was basicallyraised at CJP. I nursed himthrough PTO meetings, pushedhim down the halls in his strolleras I managed fundraisers andspent hours volunteering. Jakealso started in the threes programand now it is his turn to graduate.

Having been raised by an edu-cator, I was taught by my mother(among many things) that teachersteach for the love of educatingchildren. They are not in it for themoney – though I must say if anyprofession deserves a commensu-rate salary it absolutely is educa-tion. You can see the joy of teach-ing in every classroom at CJP –the staff truly loves to see the chil-dren thrive and celebrate eachstage of emotional and develop-mental growth the childrenaccomplish. You can see it if you

have ever observed a music classwith Miss Patty, gym with CoachDan or Judaica with Morah Elka.It is not just a job to them - it trulyis a commitment to give some-thing to the community and tocontinually relive the wondermentof children when they learn.Additionally, when basic Jewishvalues and traditions are inter-twined within the learning itself itprovides a fabulous experience.CJP serves as a gateway for chil-dren and families into the Jewishcommunity and my family is liv-ing proof. After preschool gradua-tion my girls made a smooth tran-sition to Hebrew School at TempleIsrael Religious School and myson will soon join them.

When you realize how much achild learns and absorbs at pre-school, and how their everydayexperiences shape their little per-sonalities you really take on avested interest in the school itself.I never imagined that I couldbecome so emotionally attached toa school – yet somehow CJP hasbecome such an integral part of

my life. I felt (and still do) com-pelled to do everything in mypower to make it the best school itcould be.

Sadly, my time as a parent atCJP is coming to a close. It hasbeen eight fabulous and enrichingyears. I cannot thank the staff andschool administration enough forall they have done for my childrenand me. To my children’s teachers– you have helped shape my kidsinto the wonderful young peoplethey are today and I am forevergrateful. To all the rest of the staffwho have tirelessly waved and

made my kids feel loved and val-ued, I thank you. What can I say tothe administration – you are thecornerstone of CJP and it is amaz-ing how you much you care. Iknow Jake, especially, will missyou dearly. My kids have been soloved and nurtured, and given thegift of a strong educational foun-dation that has made their transi-tion to public school a breeze. Ofcourse, there is always that initialdisappointment when they realizethere is no Judaica class orShabbat program – but they nowhave Temple Israel to fill thatvoid. I plan to bring the kids backto visit CJP whenever they havetime off from school. It gives thema chance to say hello and see ifthey are finally taller than theirteachers. I cannot imagine losingthe comfort and camaraderie Ihave developed at CJP over theyears. I have a warm relationshipwith all the teachers, have gottento know most of the assistants, andconsider the administrationfriends. Since having anotherchild just so I could stay at CJP isnot an option, I did the next bestthing – I got a job there. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2008- Page 21

Value of a CJP Education = Priceless

Jake and Michelle Bamford

More than 1,300 Jewish dayschool leaders attended thePartnership for Excellence inJewish Education (PEJE)Assembly for Jewish Day SchoolEducation April 6-8 at theSheraton in Boston, MA.Representing 265 schools fromacross North America and Israel atthe largest PEJE conference everheld, 1,341 participants chosefrom more than 100 sessions toattend, with tracks in early child-hood, leadership, marketing,fundraising, finance, and commu-nity collaboration.

“It brought together Jewish dayschool leaders from all over thecountry to collaborate as one bigthink tank,” said CherylRabinowitz, director of admis-sions for Charlotte Jewish DaySchool, who, along with JuliaGreenfield, Mariashi Groner, andAlison Lerner, represented CJDSat the biennial conference.“Participants included admissionsdirectors, heads of schools, philan-thropists, board members andcommunity heads, and was a posi-tive experience in that it let usknow that we are not alone in theissues that we face. It gave me lotsof new, fresh ideas and rechargedme.”

Mariashi Groner, CJDS direc-tor, has attended nearly everyPEJE conference and echoedRabinowitz’s enthusiasm. “To bein a place where there were onlypeople who are dealing with dayschools was amazing,” she said.“It invigorated me.”Building a Model

Although many Jewish dayschools across the country arestruggling with declining enroll-ments, the number of students atCJDS is increasing, with estimatesnext year of 170 students in theJK-8 school. “We attribute ourgrowth to the influx of new fami-lies, our thriving Jewish commu-nity, and our top-notch secular andJewish education. We have had

several families with children inpublic schools who are looking fora smaller, more nurturing environ-ment.”

Another reason for the school’sgrowth is its inclusive Judaica pro-gram, said Alison Lerner, schoolboard president.

“Our school is a model to otherschools from all other the country– we have one Judaica programfor a wide range of students – itsuits everyone from the non-affili-ated to the Orthodox. Peoplearound the country look to ourschool to figure out how to dothat,” Lerner said. “It’s like gener-ic Judaism because everyone iscomfortable with it. I think wehave a great curriculum and Ithink that our Judaic teachers’ pur-pose in life, truly, is to make ourchildren love Judaism. It’s posi-tive Judaism.”

This year’s conference was thesecond for Lerner. She attendedthe last conference two years agoas fundraising chair. For her, thebiggest benefit from the confer-ence was the reassurance thatCJDS is operating the way manypresenters said it should be, onmany fronts.

“For me, it was great reassur-ance that we do so many thingsright, like the way our board is setup and how we are fiscally respon-sible,” she said. “We have aunique situation in Charlottewhere Mariashi and all of ourboard presidents have had a greatpartnership. A lot of boards havedifficulty with that.”

PEJE representatives espousehaving diverse boards comprisingmore than just parents. Half of theCJDS board’s 20 members are notparents of children in the school.

“When you involve non-parentsyou’re able to focus on the big-picture things rather than on theminutia on what happens in theclassroom. That’s for the teachersand the parents to discuss,” Lernersaid.

Making Words Work“It does feel good to know that

we’re doing well,” said Groner.“But, that doesn’t mean we don’thave things we could improve. Wehave not yet been as effective aswe would have liked in creatingleadership in the children, sodeveloping leadership skills willbe a large part of everything we donext year. I know that as soon asyou give a child an opportunity tolead, they rise to the occasion.”

One of the most powerful mes-sages Groner heard was that ofNatan Sharansky, internationallyrenowned human rights activist,political leader, and author. Hisspeech at the PEJE conferencerevolved around taking a stand.“His message was if you don’tstand for something, than who areyou?” Groner summarized. “It’snot about just blending in. Whatdo you believe in? The only rea-son Sharansky survived all thoseyears in a Soviet prison is becausehe stood for what he believed, andthey couldn’t break that. As a dayschool head, that is very meaning-ful to me. The message we wantour children to get is that youdon’t have to give up yourJudaism in order to be a contribut-ing member of society.”

Another focus next year will beteaching students how to get theinformation they need, a directresult of a speech given by PatrickBassett, director of the NationalAssociation of IndependentSchools (NAIS).

“We live in a time now where itis not about teaching the kids stuff,but rather how to access stuff,”Groner said. “I think a class inInternet searching could be morebeneficial to a kid than studying achapter in social studies. In otherwords, instead of learning historyby heart, learn from history andtalk about and figure out how toapply it nowadays. The environ-ment today demands it, and that’sthe wave of the future.” Y

Beantown Welcomes CJDS Leaders atPEJE Assembly


Article written and presented byBecca Gerger, past StudentCouncil President, as she givesthe student address at this year’sHebrew High Graduation

At the beginning of the year, Iwas asked to think of a quote toput in the school yearbook next tomy picture. The quote that instant-ly came to my head was from BobMarley’s Redemption Song:“Emancipate yourselves frommental slavery; none but ourselvescan free our minds.” At the time, itjust sounded cool, but now that theyear is coming to an end, I haverealized the truth in the meaningof that quote.

For the last four years,we have studied the sub-jects required of us inschool, we’ve participatedin sports teams, helpedout with clubs to boostour resume, and lastly,we’ve explored ourJudaism in Hebrew HighSchool. Looking back onmy Jewish education, Ican easily recall howmuch I used to dreadHebrew School. I wouldcomplain to my mom,saying that all theChristians didn’t have togo to Bible school twice a week,so why was it fair that I had to goto Hebrew school so much? Now,as I stand here, graduating fromHebrew High, I realize that it was-n’t fair – I was right, in a smallway. People outside of our com-munity, who don’t have the forcesof a tight knit congregation pulling

them towards their constant reli-gious education don’t have thesame opportunity as us to lookoutside their all too basic world,and perceive something biggerthan what’s expected of them byevery day society.

We, as participants in HebrewHigh, stand out from the rest of thepublic. Not only have we workedthroughout our lives to satisfy theexpectations of the world aroundus, but we have also chosen to bet-ter our understanding of ourJudaism through Hebrew Highand Post Confirmation. Followingthe actions and expectations ofsociety, isn’t always the best way

to find personal clarity. If youspend your life following thecrowd, your perspective of theworld can become dangerouslytainted by the limits of yourknowledge; however, if you investthe extra time to participate in out-side programs like Hebrew High,you will find in yourself the abili-

ty to shape your ownperspective enabling youto become a more wellrounded person by thebreadth of your knowl-edge.

Hebrew High is proudof all of the 2008 gradu-ates, and know they willcontinue to be leaders intheir Jewish lives andbeyond. Y

Graduating from Hebrew High

Saying goodbye to good friends asthey leave Hebrew High.

A special confection was created for the graduating class ofHebrew High.

Special Yom HaZikaronService Created by Post-Confirmation Class

A choir made up of members ofboth Temple Beth El and TempleIsrael performed for YomHaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day.The special service, which includ-ed songs, psalms, a short film,poetic readings and prayers, was

created by the Post-Confirmationclass (11th and 12th graders) ofHebrew High. Israel observesYom HaZikaron to rememberthose who have perished in itsmany wars. Y

Mazel Tov & Congratulations

EQmentor Names JenniferGolynsky as Vice Presidentof Business Development

EQmentor, Inc., an innovativeleader in professional develop-ment, is proud to announce thatJennifer Cohen Golynsky hasjoined EQmentor as VicePresident of Business Develop-ment. Jennifer joins EQmentorwith more than 17 years of HumanResource Management experienceincluding public, private and con-sulting roles with employers fromcounty and state government aswell as Lending Tree and Muzak.

Jennifer earned both her bache-lor’s and master’s degrees fromthe University of North Carolinaat Chapel Hill.

“A key aspect of effectivelygrowing our business and support-ing our clients is to have the rightpeople in place,” stated Dr. IzzyJustice, CEO and Founder ofEQmentor. “We are glad to haveJennifer as part of our team andlook forward to supporting her

future success.”EQmentor utilizes a unique and

innovative approach to increasingthe EQ (emotional intelligence) ofworking professionals through anon-traditional mentoring processas well as an on-line communityof professional peer collaboration.With custom-built technology,EQmentor is considered the nextgeneration in professional devel-opment. EQmentor offers long-term mentoring, when you need it,through a confidential and anony-mous mentor relationship.Mentees benefit from a certifiedmentor in a similar industry orvocation and can access the EQVillage, a collaboration of adviceand ideas from working profes-sionals, based on the daily chang-ing needs of the individual.For more information, visitwww.eqmentor.com or call 704-896-2153. Y

Happy “Special” Birthday to

Rita MondFrom the Staff and Board of the

Charlotte Jewish News

Congratulations to the followinggraduates:

Mark Abadi, Hannah Archer,Rebecca Berlin, Elizabeth

Bernstein, Joshua Bockenek,Rebecca Gerger, Sarah

Greenfield, Jonathan LaRowe,Leslee Lisnek, Jamie Morse,

Jared Morse, Morgan Saloman,Issac Spil, Sheina Taub

REACHING THE CENTER

Some people say words of Torah to reach the seventh heaven, while I think:Words of Torah must be spoken to reach the center of the listener.

-Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotsk

Park Ridge, IL – Outstandingclient service, ethics and profes-sionalism have enabled ScottFligel, CLU, ChFC of Charlotte toachieve membership in the presti-gious Million Dollar Round Table– the Premier Association ofFinancial professionals. Fligel is aten-year MDRT member.

Attaining membership inMDRT is a distinguishing careermilestone achieved by less than1% of the world’s life insuranceand financial services profession-als. It requires Fligel to adhere to astrict Code of Ethics, focus on pro-

viding top-notch client service,and continue to grow professional-ly through involvement in at leastone other industry association.

“MDRT members like ScottFligel, CLU, ChFC are united by apassion to provide financial solu-tions that protect families, individ-uals and business owners, and bet-ter serve clients by sharing ideasand best practices with fellowmembers,” says MDRT PresidentJames E Rogers, CLU, CFP.

MDRT provides continuingeducation and skills improvementdesigned to help members provide

the best in client service. It alsohelps members serve their com-munity and maintain strong per-sonal values.

For more information, contactFligel at 704-442-4472 [email protected].

MDRT is The PremierAssociation of FinancialProfessionals. Founded in 1927,MDRT is an international, inde-pendent association of more than35,000, or less than 1%, of theworld’s best life insurance andfinancial services professionals.With membership from 76 nations

and territories, MDRT membersdemonstrate exceptional profes-sional knowledge, strict ethicalconduct and outstanding clientservice. MDRT membership isrecognized internationally as thestandard of sales excellence in thelife insurance and financial servic-es business. Y

The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2008- Page 23

Scott Fligel

Fligel Achieves Membership in Million Dollar RoundtablePrestigious Membership is Exclusive to World’s Leading Financial Professionals

Austin Riddley, a student atCommunity House MiddleSchool, was been accepted intoPeople to People WorldLeadership Forum. Riddley joineda select group of students inWashington, DC, April 7-13 toearn high school credit whilestudying leadership and exploringsome of the United States’ mostprominent monuments and institu-tions.

From Capitol Hill to theSmithsonian Institute, and from

Colonial Williamsburg to theNational Museum of AmericanHistory, Riddley examined thecharacteristics of America leader-ship during times of national chal-lenge and prosperity. Forum dele-gates also participated in smallgroup discussions and exercises toexperience first-hand how suc-cessful leaders develop strategies,make decisions, build consensus,and foster change.

Riddley was nominated andaccepted for the honor based on

outstanding scholastic merit, civicinvolvement and leadership poten-tial. He is the son of Priscilla andCorey Riddley.

The program is coordinated byPeople to People Student Leaderprograms to fulfill the visionPresident Dwight D. Eisenhowerhad for fostering world citizenshipwhen he founded People to Peopleduring this presidency in 1956.For additional information, pleasevisit www.wlfleaders.org. Y

Charlotte Student Accepted into People toPeople Academic Program

PICK A ROSENFELDfor All Your Real Estate Needs

Over 35 Years Experience

BARBARAHelen Adams Realty

704-517-1547MARSHALL

Queenstowne Realty

704-543-6046

Home

704-321-0220

L’ShanaTova


It’s All About You!Perfect for Families

• Marriott quality and consistency

• Complimentary hot breakfast buffet

• Spacious suites with kitchen and living area

• 2 bedroom / 2 bath suites with gas log fireplace

• Heated indoor swimming pool, whirlpool

• Exercise room and basketball court

• Beautiful SouthPark location only 3.5 miles from

Shalom Park

Special group rates and hotel tours available by calling Chuck Gardner at 704-554-7001

or by emailing her at [email protected].

Closest Hotel to Shalom ParkClosest Hotel to Shalom Park

Located in the heart of Charlotte’s prestigious SouthPark area

Hampton Inn & Suites SouthPark at Phillips Place

FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL OF OUR GUESTS!When booking 10 rooms or more, mention this ad and receive 10% off

the Great Room Rental. Group room rates available.

Hampton Inn & Suites SouthPark at Phillips Place6700 Phillips Place Court, Charlotte, NC 28210

www.hamptonsouthpark.com

Located in SouthPark, Charlotte’s prestigious retail, dining and shopping area. The hotel has 124 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites featuring fireplaces,

spas/whirlpools, stereo systems, complementary high-speed internet connection and private balconies and patios. Our guests receive complimentary On the House™

Hot Breakfast. Children under 18 stay free. Complimentary scheduled van transportation within a 5 mile radius of the hotel.

Contact Jessica Helms For details about our Special

Bar Mitzvah Package704-319-5700

[email protected]

Ten minutes from Southpark, Ballantyne, & Arboretum areas10719 Kettering Dr., Charlotte, NC 28226 Tel: 704-541-1688

See our full menu at www.wanfucuisine.com

Banquet & Private MeetingRooms (up to 90 people)

Specializing in Private Parties

Same Head Chef and same Head Manager for

the past 4 years

Voted City’s Best 2005 & 2006 by AOL Cityguide

Specializing in:Homemade Soups • Gyros • Salads

&Dining Out, CateringHospitality

To advertise in the

Charlotte JewishNews, contact one

of our sales

representatives:

Rita Mond,

704-366-6632,

Pam Grossman,

704-841-1544,

Jodi Valenstein,

704-841-4040 or

Rene Azcanio,

704-898-4747

What is a B’nai B’rith Institue ofJudaism?

The 26 national Institutes ofJudaism are the hub of the B’naiB’rith Adult Education Program.They provide an opportunity forthe individual to confront and clar-ify questions about Judaism andJewish life. The participant experi-ences “Living Judaism” -- aunique opportunity for a trulyAmerican-Jewish experience in afellowship setting.

Attendees can participate in avariety of additional activities:religious services, visits to areafolk art centers, enjoying thebreathtaking beauty of the BlueRidge Mountains, athletic pursuitssuch as hiking and tennis -- andjust relaxing.Curriculum

There are four lectures daily,with entertainment in theevenings. Early and mid-after-noons are for informal patio dis-cussions with the speakers,optional recreational activities,and “schmoozing.” For moreinformation, contact Bill Carr at919-781-4207.Faculty

Andrei Codrescu is a poet, nov-elist, essayist, screenwriter, andcommentator for National PublicRadio. He is the editor ofExquisite Corpse, a literary jour-nal online at www.corpse.org. Heis the MacCurdy DistinguishedProfessor of English at LousianaState University in Baton Rouge.His novels include Wakefield,Messiah, and The Blood Countess.In additional to writing poetry,essays, memoirs, and travelogues,he wrote and starred in the featuredocumentary Road Scholar, win-ner of a George Foster Peabodyaward. His next book, titled

Jealous Witness, contains newpoems, and a CD of Storm Songsperformed by the New OrleansKlezmer All-Stars.

Michael Seidman is a Professorof History at the University ofNorth Carolina-Wilmington. Hehas published many articles andthree books: The ImaginaryRevolution: Parisian Students andWorkers in 1968, which wasselected as the 2005 ChoiceOutstanding Academic Title;Republic of Egos: A SocialHistory of the Spanish Civil War,which was selected as the 2004Choice Outstanding AcademicTitle; Workers Against Work:Labor in Paris and BarcelonaDuring the Popular Fronts.

Kurt Stone is a rabbi, politicalwriter, lecturer, and activist.Educated at the University ofCalifornia, the Eagleton Instituteof Politics, and the Hebrew UnionCollege, Stone holds bachelor’sdegrees in philosophy, history, andpolitical science; a master’s inHebrew letters; and a doctorate indivinity. He is currently the spiri-tual leader of the North BrowardHavurah. A student of Americanpolitical history, Stone is theauthor of The CongressionalMinyan: The Jews of Capitol Hill,which contains biographies ofJewish persons to serve in theUnited States Congress since 1841to the present. Stone has also writ-ten for Encyclopedia Judaica, andthe Anthology of American JewishCultural Icons. Stone teaches atboth Florida Atlantic and FloridaInternational Universities. In2005, he was named FloridaAtlantic University’s Professor ofExcellence.Program

Andrei Codrescu: Did you

know that Dracula is Jewish?Ghosts, Symbols, and Tourists inPost-Communist Russia; A NewTaxonomy of Immigrants; TheNew Georgraphy: Realignmentand Disappearance of NationalBorders; Patio Discussion: NewOrleans in the Post-KatrinaPeriod.

Michael Seidman: The NewAnti-Semitism; Jews in ModernEuropean History; Spain and theHolocaust; Patio Discussion:Churchill and the Jews.

Rabbi Kurt F. Stone: Is God aDemocrat or a Republican?; TheCongressional Minyan; “But is itGood for Israel?”: Jewish VotingHabits in America; PatioDiscussion: The History of a Lie:The Protocols of the Elders ofZion.Entertainment--TennesseeSchmaltz

Founded in 1995, TennesseeSchmaltz has been performing itsspecial brand of klezmer music atsimchas and concerts as far east asHot Springs, NC, as far west asHuntsville, AL, as far north as AnnArbor, MI, and as far south asCallaway Gardens, GA.

The band stays in this part ofthe world because they have dayjobs, too. Performers are architectManny Herz, nuclear physicistDan Shapira, Hebrew schooldirector Carolyn Silver-Alford,caterer Larry Hoffman, and jour-nalism professor Rob Heller.

Tennessee Schmaltz takes spe-cial joy in blending all types ofmusic: classical, pop, jazz, andbluegrass, with the traditionalklezmer, Yiddish and Israeli reper-toire. They look forward to shar-ing their music and fully expectsome serious dancing and singa-long in return.

Reservations and InformationReservation fee is $315 per per-

son, double occupancy. Singlesupplement is $125. Send pay-ment or request for information toB’nai B’rith Institute of Judaism,

Judye Jacobs, 3107 MorningsideDr., Raleigh, NC 27607, or call919-781-8490. Y

Two of our own in theJewish community havereceived recognition for giv-ing of themselves. MichaelValenstein and EvyatarHashmonay have receivedawards from “Do The RightThing” of MecklenburgCounty.

Do The Right Thing, Inc.is a non-profit corporationdedicated to recognizing andrewarding youth excelling ina worthwhile endeavor.

Together with their com-munity sponsors, they hopeto achieve the highest levelof excellence for youth inthis community.

Michael Valenstein is a5th grader at McKee RoadElementary School. Hevolunteers in a physicaleducation class for autisticstudents. Michael does awonderful job getting thestudents to participate inclass. He is smart, giving

and compassionate. He is begin-ning to understand the world ofautism and asks all the right ques-tions. Michael gets the students tointeract with him, demonstratingjustice and fairness for others.

Evyatar Hashmonay is a 4thgrader at JV Washam ElementarySchool. He has many fine qualitiesthat add to his strong character. Heconsistently models a high regardfor his peers, adults and himself.He demonstrates a genuine con-cern towards his family, teachers,

friends and community. While arepresentative of the StudentCouncil, he pioneered and execut-ed the food and supply drive for alocal animal shelter. While a mem-ber of the Computer Club, hehelped raise awareness of celiacdisease (food allergy) through anarticle about a local bakery thatprovided gluten free baked goods.Evyatar demonstrates good citi-zenship daily. Y


BUSINESS CARD

DIRECTORY

To advertise in the Business Card Directory, contact one of our sales representatives:

Pam Grossman, 704-841-1544, Jodi Valenstein, 704-841-4040,

Rita Mond, 704-366-6632

Jane Rabinovitz has beennamed finalist for the NAWBOCharlotte (National Association ofWomen Business Owners) RisingStar of the Year Award. The awardis given to a woman who has beenin business for less than five yearsand exemplifies creativity anddetermination in entrepreneurship.

The winner will be announcedMay 15 at the NAWBO AwardsGala to be held at the Hilton CityCenter Hotel.

Jane Rabinovitz is a certifiedgemologist and owner of Jane’sGems Boutique. After living in

Paris for several years, Jane choseto share her passion for “all thatglitters” and opened her boutiquein 2006. She travels extensivelythroughout the world, dedicatingherself to bringing unique collec-tions of fine jewelry to the womenof Charlotte. Jane’s mission is toguide her clients toward jewelryselection that truly reflects andcomplements who they are. Inaddition, she is committed to edu-cating her clients and conductsworkshops about the fascinatingworld of gems.

Jane is committed to her com-

munity and to being a philanthrop-ic business owner. Currently, sheserves on the Corps de Ballet, avolunteer group supporting NorthCarolina Dance Theatre, has twicebeen a sponsor of the AnnualJewish Federation Women’sSpring Lecture, is a lifetime mem-ber of Hadassah and has served asa Board of Directors member ofActor’s Theatre of Charlotte. Shemakes in-kind contributions to avariety of charitable organizationsincluding Assistance League ofCharlotte and has held events inher Boutique for the benefit of

Jewish Federation of Charlotteand The V Foundation for cancerresearch.

Jane holds a Master’s degree incounseling psychology and com-pleted her certification as aGraduate Gemologist at the worldrenowned Gemological Instituteof America. She lives in Charlottewith her husband Mark and hasfour adult sons.

For more information visitwww.janesgemsboutique.com,visit the Boutique at 2908 CrosbyRoad, Charlotte or call 704-608-3768. Y

Jane Rabinovitz’s Star is Rising as a Finalist for NAWBO Award

Jane Rabinovitz

Students Win Awards Because They “Do the Right Thing”

Michael Valenstein receives his “Do the Right Thing”certificate.

A Tapestry of Jewish ThoughtWildacres, Little Switzerland, NC. August 11-14


This Rosh Ha’Shanah, send your NewYear Greetings to friends and relatives

without ever licking a stamp!If you’re like most of us, you’ll probably wait until the last minute to send your annual Jewish NewYear greetings. And, like most of us, you will probably regret having waited so long. This year, letThe Charlotte Jewish News take care of your New Year greetings for you.

No Postage--No Problems--No SweatJoin your friends and neighbors in the special Rosh Ha’Shanah Greetings supplement to bepublished in the September 2008 Charlotte Jewish News. Simply choose your greeting from thesamples on this page, fill out the coupon and mail to The CJN with your payment. If you wish tocompose your own greeting, choose “E” and include your wording in the space provided. Limit 25words, PRINTED OR TYPED, please.

Sample“D”

$65.00

a

Sample “E” - $71.00

Remember us

to Life.May you be

inscribed for a New

Year of health,

happiness and

peace.

Your Name Here

Sample “C” - ($43.00)

Sample “A” - $20.00

Sample “B” -$31.00

Your Name Here

L’ShanahTovah

Your Name Here

May the

sound of the

shofar herald

a year filled

with health,

happiness,

and peace.

L’Shanah TovahYour Name Here

5769

YOUR PERSONAL GREETING HERE

(LIMIT 25 WORDS)

Your Name Here

Happy New Year

HURRY!!DEADLINE

for ROSH

HASHANAH 5769

is AUGUST 11

ORDER YOURGREETING ONLINE!

www.jewishchar-lotte.org

Link to “CJN NewYear’s Greetings”

SINGLE LINE GREETINGS:

“Happy New Yearfrom ....”

(we fill in the nameyou supply)

$12.00

Please include me in the Rosh HaShanah Greeting section of the September 2008 CharlotteJewish News. Enclosed is a check in the amount of $_________.

Check the ad you choose to run _____A ($20.00) _____B ($31.00) _____C ($43.00)

_____D ($65.00) _____E include wording below ($71.00)

Wording (for “E” only) _______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Return to: CJN, 5007 Providence Rd., Suite 112, Charlotte, NC 28226 -- BY AUGUST 11, 2008!

Name (include names of all family members

you wish to appear on your greeting):

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

Address..........................................................

City, State, Zip................................................

.......................................................................

Phone numbers (home, office, cell, etc.)

.......................................................................

Amount enclosed $______________

______Single line greeting - $12.00

By Sheila PeltzerI need your help. Something

happened to our family last yearthat could never happen inAmerica, or so I believed. Ourinvoluntarily-divorced son went tocourt to keep his four childrennearby. He lost. Now he is just avisitor in their lives—without everdoing anything wrong. No domes-tic violence (which statisticallyhappens much more after a fatherunwillingly loses his children), noalcoholism or drug abuse, no men-tal unfitness, no adultery. In fact,our son is a respected familyphysician and his family’s solefinancial support. He was anexceedingly involved parent, fromdiapering and tube feeding to soc-cer coaching and Sunday Schooldriving.

His loss and our grandchil-dren’s led me to law books, a well-documented new book called“Taken into Custody” by political

scientist Dr. Stephen Baskerville,to research by Professor LindaNielsen of Wake ForestUniversity’s Women’s Studiesprogram, and to sharing our storywith anyone and everyone withinearshot. I was amazed by the num-ber of similar stories, and worse.

NC custody law uses the“child’s best interest” standard andis supposed to be gender neutral. Itis not. Besides, what could bemore in a child’s best interest thanhaving two caring parents in his orher life? The law requires keepingthe child’s life stable. Forget it.Moving away, changing schools,and, in our case, losing extendedfamily support decreased the sta-bility in our grandchildren’slives—and jeopardized those ofthe two sick ones. In addition,what did they learn about commit-ment, trust, and justice?

When I first inquired aboutwriting this article for the

Charlotte Jewish News, I learnedthat it should have a Jewish slant.What could be more Jewish thanfollowing our Torah—speakingout to right injustice? I am a life-time Hadassah member and aKeeper of the Gate, supportingmedical research in Israel andhoping a cure will be found for ourgrandchildren with FamilialDysautonomia, a deadlyAshkenazi genetic disorder with alife expectancy of 25-30 years. Yetwhen I approached both Hadassahand our temple for help in chang-ing custody law, I learned theywork only on issues handed downfrom their national centers. Thiswas not one of them.

Studies prove overwhelminglythat fatherlessness has a profound-ly negative effect on most childrenover the long term. It is related toAmerica’s growing academic,criminal, and health problems.And research shows that the over-whelming majority of children anddivorced dads want more timetogether. Our third grandchildcried when he learned of his newpet but his dad’s departure, “I

don’t want a cat. I want mydaddy.”

We are all paying the price ofdivorce, but our innocent childrenthe most. Millions are lost in thisexploding divorce business, andbusiness it is—from judges (sup-ported by bar associations) tolawyers, mediators, psychiatrists,psychologists, counselors, childcustody experts, guardians adlitem, ad infinitum. The states,too, are big recipients— from fed-eral funds.

When and where will it end?We certainly cannot outlawdivorce. But now there are womenproudly calling themselvesSaRaHs—Single, Rich, andHappy. They easily get thedivorce, the kids, and the money.Is this really how we want ourmatriarch to be remembered?

I came of age before the femi-nist movement, but I am a femi-nist. I had my 25-year teachingcareer and was a Sunday Schoolteacher and Sisterhood president. Itaught our sons to cook, clean, andsew. I go to women’s Seders andtravel the world independently. I

understand that sometimes it isbest to end a marriage, but chil-dren’s happiness and stabilityshould come first. They need tolearn love and cooperation, nothatred and divisiveness. KarenDeCrow, former president of theNational Organization for Women,stated: “Shared parenting is notonly fair to men and children; it isthe best option for women,” giv-ing them time and opportunity foreducation, career, and leisure.Why shouldn’t both parents sharein the physical, emotional, andfinancial responsibility for theirchildren after divorce?

Please help change NC custodylaw to “presumed shared parentingfor fit parents.” Phone your localstate legislators now as they meetin their short session. Ask them toput child custody into this year’sstudies bill. Contact your rabbiand religious action center.Marriage contracts are, after all,contracts. Finally, contact yourHadassah leaders. This is a nation-al issue. Thank you. Y


Op-EdRepairing Families

By Rabbi Amy EilbergThree times every day, tradi-

tional Jews pray the words,“P’tach libi b’toratecha,” “Openmy heart to Your Torah,” at thesacred moment at the end of thesilent Amidah (standing) prayer.What might help our hearts toopen to the rich nourishment andhealing power of Torah this year?

The classical commentators onthe Torah were fascinated by thefact that the Torah was given atMt. Sinai, in the midst of thewilderness, in the middle of ourpeople’s long, perilous journey

from slavery to freedom. TheTorah, according to this line ofthinking, could not have beenrevealed in the city, in the midst ofpeople’s ordinary routine, in thebusy fullness of life-as-usual.Rather, Torah could only berevealed in a radically open,empty and unfamiliar place. Foronly here could we recognize ourpowerlessness, surrender to ourfear, confusion and dependency,and let our hearts fall open. TheTorah was given to us when weneeded God most, when we had nochoice but to trust. Only in such a

place could we open our hearts toTorah.

This year, as we once againapproach Shavuot, our Festival ofRevelation, imagine that you arein a wilderness: a place withoutsignposts, where nothing is famil-iar and your ability to control yourlife is revealed as illusory. In thisplace, open yourself to the wis-dom that can only come frombeyond, from the One. Allowyourself to be guided, trusting thatyou will be given exactly whatyou need, one step after another.Imagine that everyone you know,

everyone in the world, is in thesame state of radical trust andreadiness to receive DivineWisdom as you are at thismoment. Now open your eyes andsee that the earth itself is trem-bling, anticipating the gift ofRevelation. Let your heart beopen, to receive the Torah that youmost need this Shavuot. Y

Rabbi Amy Eilberg is the co-director of the Yedidya Center forJewish Spiritual Direction and co-founder of the Jewish HealingMovement.

P’tach Libi B’Toratecha

We are taught, as Jews, thatwhen our parents are no longerwith us, we should honor theirmemory, give charity in theirnames, and perform acts of lov-ing-kindness.

There is another way that wecan honor our parents and theirparents and grandparents. We canpreserve their stories so that theycan be shared with generations yetto come, strengthening their iden-tity as Jewish Americans.

This is the mission of DownHome, a multi-media project ofthe Jewish Heritage Foundation ofNorth Carolina. We seek to col-lect, conserve, and celebrate thehistory of Jewish settlement in ourstate.

Down Home will include:—A major museum exhibit

touring North Carolina’s metro-politan communities.

—A professional quality docu-mentary film that captures thespirit and history of NorthCarolina Jewry.

—A richly illustrated bookdepicting more than three cen-turies of Jewish life in our state.

—An educational video andteaching guide for the state’s near-ly 1.5 million students, who cur-rently receive almost no instruc-tion about the history of Jews inNorth Carolina.

Precious opportunities to col-lect stories and heirlooms slipaway almost daily, as synagoguesclose, letters and photos fade, andour parents and grandparents passaway.A Story That Needs to Be Told

Down Home will present thecompelling stories of Jewish set-tlers – peddlers, storekeepers,industrialists and philanthropists –and their devotion to family, faith,and community that has been thehallmark of North Carolina’sJewish people for centuries.

Building Community – DownHome will bring together Jewishcommunities from across the stateto share and celebrate our com-mon identity. We will strengthenthe social networks that connectcommunities and welcome new-comers into the fabric of multi-generational heritage.

Educating Our Neighbors –Down Home will educate the gen-eral public – in an engaging andpersonal way – about Jewish ritu-als and beliefs, and how Jews leadtheir daily lives.

Sharing Our Values – DownHome will demonstrate the rever-ence for justice, freedom, andequality that have made Jews lead-ers in creating a progressive NorthCarolina.

Preserving Our Past – Down

Home will create a permanentarchive of historical documents,interpreted by experts and pre-served for all to read, study, andappreciate.

We want to represent as manycommunities as possible – large orsmall, from the mountains to thecoast. To this end, we wouldappreciate anything that you, yourfamily, and your community cancontribute in ways of photograph-ic or material culture that docu-ments and illustrates the history ofyour community or congregation.We have need of: Shabbat candle-sticks, Kiddush cups, a Torahscroll, hanukkiot, pews, kippot,announcement posters, tablets ofthe Ten Commandments, a chup-pah, old siddurim, machzorim,school primers, archival photo-graphs of ceremonials, rabbis, layleaders, confirmation, b’nai mitz-vah, synagogues, any otherJudaica that testifies to your com-munity’s Jewish legacy.

These items can be exhibitedeither as a loan or a donation. Allitems will be acknowledged andcredited, loaned items will bereturned upon completion of theexhibiton’s tour.

Please contact Lyn Slome,Down Home registrar and curator,at [email protected] or 919-360-1078. Y

Down Home: Jewish Life in NorthCarolina

Excerpted from an essay byDebbie Friedman

The Torah sings to us throughmany voices. Here are a few:

1. First is the text, which con-veys its own lyrical melody evenbefore being given the trope inwhich it can be chanted aloud.

2. Second is the trope, theancient melody of the chant,amplifying the stories told in thetext by accentuating and punctuat-ing.

3. Third is music written, not inthe context of a Torah service, butusing the text as source materialthat is interpreted on many levelsand then integrated so as toenhance the richness of our dailylives. It is through this “voice” thatTorah becomes a true Eitz Chayim(Tree of Life) we can utilize in oureveryday thinking and being ... ifwe are fully present and con-scious.

4. The fourth song of Torah isfound in the white of the parche-ment on which the text is written.To hear this music, we mustbecome white and clear like theparchment of the very first Torah,making space to receive the songof revelation.

Within the Torah, between eachletter, word, sentence and para-graph, white space awaits ourencounter with the Divine Creatorof that space. This encounter isbeyong sound, vision and sensa-tion. It is the moment when we canno longer differentiate betweenourselves and the text. Thismoment of reciprocity with theDivine creates an experience ofopenness, and we become onewith the text, and all that is con-nected with it.

Ultimately, revelation is likemusic that has been composed andwritten on paper; unknown,unheard, untouched until someonechooses to see it, breathe life intoit and give it voice. Only then is itheard.

The central Jewish work ofTikkun (healing) is an effort tobring about a more hopeful world.Our breath and our song help usheal. Beyond our comprehension,God gives us one more breath,moment after moment. Now, howwill we choose to use it? Y

Reprinted from “TheOutstretched Arm,” a publicationof the National Center for JewishHealing.

A Breath of One: TheRevelation of the Torahthrough Song

rabbi shields to lead lake norman ... - charlotte jewish newsof ethiopian jews. in their effort to...

Documents