The
Charlotte
Jewish
NEWS
Non-Profit Organization
BULK RATE
U.S. Postage PAID .
Charlotte, N. C. ' '
Permit No. 1208
Vol. I, No. 2
Charlotte, North Carolina
February 1979
JCC Class Registration Closing
If you haven’t sent your registration for
the Spring classes at the “ J” you better do
so immediately. Class registration is in the
final stages as the Center prepares to begin
classes the week of February 5th. Most of
the classes are pretty well filled, but there
are still some openings. Don’t delay send
ing in or phoning in your registration! You
will be disappointed if you do not avail
yourselves of the opportunity of participa
tion in these excellent courses.
The children’s department is offering
more than 30 classes for children ages 3
years through 18 years. There are arts and
crafts courses including woodshop and auto
mechanics. For the athletically inclined
Second Annual
youngsters we offer gymnastics, tennis,
karate and ice skating. Those interested in
theater and dance may enroll in creative
dramatics, disco dancing, or modern jazz.
Even a course in puppetry is offered. For
domestically inclined children a special
cooking course and creative stitchery can
be had. The children’s classes last for 12
weeks.
For adults there are over 20 courses
offered including tennis, ballet, exercise,
Yoga, cake decorating, painting, life draw
ing, and adult education courses. A special
family life education course is being offered
for fathers only. The classes promise to be
• very exciting and worthwhile. Adult classes
last for 8 weeks unless otherwise noted in
the schedule.
The eiltire schedule appeared in, last
month’s issue of The Charlotte Jewish
News. If for some reason you did not
receive a copy or misplaced yours, there are
extra copies available at 'the JCC. No
registration will be accepted without full
payment of fee. If you have riot made full or
part payment on your 1979 dues, or made
payment arrangements by February 1st,
you will be required to pay non-member
rates.
REMEMBER - CLASSES START THE
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 5th.
Chanukah Happening
by Sara Schreibman
Rain on Sunday, December
24th, forced the last minute
change of plans for the Com
munity’s Annual Chanukah
Marathon Run and Family Day.
the route with the rabbi. During
some parts of the run parents
joined their children and ran.
The spirit of the “Run For
Peace” was evident in the
runners’ expressions.
Monday, December 25th, Rabbi.
Rocklin, accompanied by Bob
Schrader,- Mike Schwartz and
Joe Steiner, led the children
from Temple Israel, Temple
Beth El, Temple Beth Shalom,
the Hebrew Academy and the
While the Marathon Run was
in progress, over 40 children and
their parents had an exciting
afternoon participating in the
.Family part of the Chanukah
Chappening held at the “J.”
Some were up to their elbows in
Jewish Community Center on
the 12'/2niile route which started
at Temple Israel and finished at
the JCC. A strong feeling of
“freedom” was felt by all who
participated, as a beautiful day
lent itself to the run.
A car caravan followed the
runners to carry them after they
had run their portion. In their
enthusiasm many of the
children continued running
more than their portion of the
route. Several went most or all of
flour in ihe “Cookie Factory,”
others sawing, sanding, and
stenciling their own dreidles
(that really worked!) while still
others were down on their knees
pasting, cutting and coloring
beautiful Chanukah
decorations for their homes. The
enthusiasm shown by both
children and parents made the
afternoon one of the highlights
of the year for the JCC.
Everyone enjoyed the festivities
(Continued on Page 4)
Arab ‘Lobby’
Arab Thrust
Who are the principal influence
peddlers, contact men, lob
byists, lawyers, publicists and
consultants working as Arab
emissaries in this country? The
“Middle East Connection” - is it'
a euphemism for conducting big
business, or influencing.
American fi)reign policy, b*t%
of both? /jid why do the Arab
’pm^^eTBinnrs-Tranr^an elit'l-
rosteT of f«>rmer U.S. Govern-'
ment and military officials? ^
The answers to these^^
questions are to be found in the .
activities of Americans who
make up the Arab lobby in
Washin^on, New York, Atlan
ta, Houston and other key
political and economic centers
in America.
Now that Israel and Egypt at
last are on the road to peace,
with wide-spread approval on
the American scene, carping
would seem ill-timed. Yet,
perhaps, with tempers cooled, it
is a good time to gain perspec
tive by analyzing the criticism
that Americans leveled at each
other with respect to the Middle
East.
In the months before the
Camp David summit. Prime
Minister Menachem Begin was
charged on many sides with in
transigence, a view that was in
creasingly adopted by many
Americans. Any and every
move by American supporters of
Israel was severely criticized.
The Arabs could do no wrong.
Let us look back now and see
what the pro-Arabs did that was
ignored by those so busy criticiz
ing Israel.
In the last few years, there
have been increasing attacks on
the efforts of Israel and its
American friends to insure con
tinuation of the traditional
friendship of the United States
for its only democratic ally in
the Middle East. These
Americans and sympathetic
organizations were arbitrarily
labeled “pro-Israel lobbyists”
with the implied- if not stated-
charge that there is something
nefarious in efforts to affirm the
vital national security interests
of our country in a strong Israeli -
ally.
There is nothing pejorative
about the term “lobbyist”, and
ilothi^ wrong about effoi^ by
... .‘lifT
* ' 1
Check in photo is being presented to Sol Kline and Ronald
Gk>ldstein, Pony Express Co-Chairmen of the Southeast
Region by Bob Abel and Harry Lerner. (See story on Page 5
— Pony Express.) ,
representatives of foreign coun
tries or by Americans friendly to
such countries to influence
American public opinion and
American Government policy.
However, it is a peculiar
phenomenon that, in recent
years, Israel and its American
friends have been singled out for
repeated and often critical
attention. Yet the sizable and
growing efforts of the Arabs and
their powerful American sup
porters to turn U.S. opinion and
U.S. Mideast policy against our
country’s interests in a strong
Israel have, until recently,
received far less scrutiny,
although deserving substantial
ly more attention.
The intense lobbying and
“public relations” activities by
l^udi Arabia and its American
representatives in the spring of
1978 raised fundamental
questions about the goals, depth
and methods of Arab influence
in the U.S. This was particular
ly noticeable during the weeks
of debate on the proposed U.S.
sale of highly sophisticated F-15
warplanes to Saudi Arabia as
well as to Israel which had a
prior U.S. commitment for the
planes.
The pressures brought to bear
on the plane sales issue by Arab
oil and petrodollar power have
raised important questions
Tu B’Shvat Seder
On Sunday, February 11th,
the Academy P.T.A., Horim
v’Morim, will sponsor a celebra
tion commemorating the holi
day of Tu B’Sh vat in the form of
a seder.
lliis is a Kabbalistic ritual
which has been modernized and
updated. It celebrates the cycle
of growth and regeneration of
trees in Israel and is modeled on
the seder for Passover.
Rabbi Sanford Tucker, Direc
tor of the Academy, will be the
ndrrator and foods which are
grown on trees will be tasted at
Uie seder. 0)ffee and cake will
be served after the seder is com
pleted.
This event will take place at
the JCC from 2-4 p.m. It is free
and open to the public, but by
reservation only. To assure a
place at the seder table call
either Judy Marko at 364-1494
or Pat Freeman at 523-7300 no
later than February 8th.
(See editorial. Page 2)
Inside This Issue:
One Day For You
JCC Page 4
((Continued on Page 6)