page 2-THE NEWS-June-July, 1979
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS I Random Thoughts*..
Published monthly by:
Charlotte Jewish Federation
and
Jewish Community Center
Marvin Bienatock, Director
Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Rabbi Sanford Tucker, Director
Eiitor:
Ann Langman
Co-editor:
Rita Mond
International News: Marta Garelik
Feature Writers:
Muriel Levitt
Saul Brenner
Sara Schreibman
Staff:
Renee Sutker
Fran Burg
Copy deadline the 8th of each month
P.O. Box #220188
Charlotte, N.C. 28222
Editorial
This issue is dedicated to the “newcomers” in our community. To
be a “newcomer” can sometimes be a very difficult and sometimes
frightening experience. It is our hope that this will not be the case
for those of you who have just recently joined our community.
My initial thoughts were to write a column extolling and
expounding on the beauty of our “Queen” city, pertaining to its
aesthetic attributes. But coming from me it might be over
embellished or biased; because you see, I have fallen in love with my
adopted city, its sights, sounds, climate and its people.
When I arrived in Charlotte with four small children, this
beautiful city was but an overgrown small southern town. However,
it was not a sleepy southern town, nor will it ever be. As the changes
have taken place about me, I have watched the city grow (and I with
it) with grace, verve and a feeling for the people who live in the city
and are so much a part of it. Even the skyscrapers have character
and warmth, and I watched them grow from the nakedness of their
skeletal framework to the complete structures of beauty we see to
day. Charlotte is a city with a conscience. Its planning fathers have
done a worthy job in preserving the richness of its beauty while
adapting and changing with the times.
As a community paper we would like to help you become ac
quainted with our city, our organizations, our people, so that you
will feel at thome; and you too may someday say, “I have experienc
ed a love affair with a beautiful city and its people.”
Charlotte has much to offer. We have several fine schools of
higher learning; Queens College, the University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, and Central Piedmont Community College. The many
lush parks provide recreational facilities, the Mint Museum (art), a
quality Nature Museum, Spirit Square, Ovens Auditorium, the
Coliseum, and soon to come - Discovery Place. We also have an ex
cellent symphony, an opera, and several good quality theater
groups such as The Golden Circle at the Mint, Little Theater, CPCC
theater, and a fine dinner theater, to name but a few cultural and ar
tistic highlights.
‘ Our Jewish community offers three temples (Temple Israel being
the oldest and largest congregation in N.C.), an excellent Hebrew
Academy, the Jewish Community Center, and many fine
organizations. To better acquaint you with this aspect of our com
munity there is a special section in this edition for you to get to know
“us” better. Welcome, and we wish you happiness and a long stay.
-A.L.
Across The
Editors’ Desks
Dear Rita:
Thank you so v^ry much for
the excellent job you did in tak
ing care of the publicity for the
Service of Remembrance and
Commitment.
Shalom,
Kitty Huffman
Executive Director
NCCJ
Dear Editors:
Just a note to tell you how
pleased I am with the results of
my advertising in your paper.
Though I advertise in other
papers with a larger circulation,
the response from the
readership of the “News” ex
ceeds that of the others. Here’s
to your continued success.
Sincerely,
Bruce Schoenes
Jewish Calendar
Ca ndlelighting
1979
June
1st - 7:13
8th - 7:16
15th - 7:19
22nd - 7:21
29th - 7:22
July
6th - 7:21
13th - 7:20
20th - 7:16
27th - 7:12
By Muriel Levitt
What 1 am about to relate will
in no way solve the energy crisis
or affect peace in the middle
east. However, I thought that
you just might enjoy reading
about how and why I firet began
wearing glasses.
Up until my teen years I was
raised in a typical Jewish mid
dle class area of The Bronx, New
York. We did all the same things
that other Jewish families did.
We played together and we
stayed together despite the
devastating depression era.
Although most of my friends
went to religious school or Sun
day school, attended temple on
holidays, and strongly iden
tified as Jews, the families I
knew were not orthodox or
devoutly pious. We pretty much
conformed to that pattern.
In retrospect, I am sure that
money was far from plentiful,
but my sister and I were never
made to feel any lack or scarcity
of the necessities of life. As a
matter of fact, we were often
given minor treats when we
were young. One of my favorite
little luxuries was going to the
movies every week.
On Saturday afternoon, if I
had been obedient all week and
performed well in school, my
mother would gift me with fif
teen cents. To you this may
represent a mere pittance, but to
me it was a princely sum. For
one dime I could gain admission
to the Mt. Eden theater. With the
remaining nickel, I was free to
choose any candy I wished from
a counter of goodies in the lobby.
I felt rich! However, I must con
fess that in short order I stopped
buying candy and began in
vesting my five cents in sour
pickles. Imagine - for just a
nickel 1 could buy five luscious,
juicy barrel pickles. By eating
them slowly and nursing them
along carefully, they lasted an
entire afternoon through two
complete showings of a double
feature. Today I can barely sit
through one movie much less
four!
This weekly adventure in
movieland lasted for a long,
long time, probably till I was
about nine. One Saturday (for
what reason I absolutely cannot
recall) I missed my usual
matinee. In some mysterious
manner, which is long gone and
lost to me, I ended up at the local
branch Public Library. It was a
discovery that changed the
course of my life!
Although my parents had the
typical Hebraic respect for
learning and education, they
owned a retail business and had
never had the time or opportuni
ty to frequent libraries. I was the
one who brought books into our
home and made reading a fami
ly passion.
Books opened up a whole new
world to me. Every free hour I
could spare was spent in dis
covery of the written word. The
librarians became my friends
and mentors, making varied
seliections and many
suggestions to whet my literary
appetite. I thrilled to Grimm’s
fairy tales, wept at Elsie
Dinsmore’s perpetual anguish,
and delighted in Little Women.
It was an incredible experience
for a nine year old.
Shortly thereafter I
systematically read through the
entire children’s section
alphabetically. This sounds like
a herculean task, but it was real
ly no big deal since our branch
was never overstocked.
Whenever I came across a book
of seeming interest that I had
never read before, a feeling of
pure joy pervaded. It was as
though someone had given me
an unexpected gift. I am not
ashamed to admit that I still ex
perience the same sensation to
day on my frequent visits to the
library. To me, an unread book
is a bright promise, a wonderful
adventure yet to be experienced.
I firmly believe that my exten
sive reading was the preface
and laid the groundwork for my
career as a writer.
Both parents were very sup
portive of my voracious reading
habits. We even discussed books
and authors at the dinner table.
Novels and nonfiction alike
were devoured after homework
assignments were completed.
You must remember that this
was pretelevision when children
had not yet been mesmerized by
the tube.
Books became such an in
tegral part of my existence that I
would cover my head with a
blanket and read by flashlight
into the late, late hours of the
night when everyone thought I
was fast asleep. If I awakened in
the dawning, I would like across
the bed and by the dim light,
read from a book which was
positioned on the floor.
This continued for well over a
year when the inevitable
happened. My teachers noticed
my squinting and having dif
ficulty with fine print. A note
was sent home recommending a
visit to an opthamologist.
As I told you in the beginning,
my tale will not affect any of the
world’s problems, but this is the
true story of how and why I
came to wear glasses, so help me
Hemingway.
Guest Editorial - Ben Jaffa, Jr. Pres. JCC
lam pleased to have been ask
ed to write this article for the
Charlotte Jewish News, as it
affords me my first opportunity
to communicate with the com
munity since I assumed the
presidency of the JCC. I am hap
py to hare been elected at this
time, as this is a very exciting
period in the short history of the
JCC. It is continually reaching
new heights in terms of
membership, facilities and
programs.
Even though the center offers
a year-round program of classes
and activities for |;)oth children
and adults, and even though
more and more people are par
ticipating in those activities, it
is in the spring and summer that
our members come to the center
in greater numbers. The tennis
courts are being used constant
ly, the pools are now open and
the softball league is once again
in full swing.
Our day-camp deserves a
special word of praise. Last year
there were approximately 120
children in the program. This
year the enrollment is nearly
190. This is a compliment to the
committee and staff members
responsible for this success.
Their efforts to provide the best
possible program have been
recognized by the community.
Inside the building there is a
flurry of activity. The building
committee has been working
with an architect. The plans
have not been finalized so I can
not state exactly what the
renovations will be but some of
the proposals include closing in
the front porch to give us more
room inside the building and to
beautify the entrance and ex
terior; redesigning the office
and kitchen areas to give us
more efficient use of the space
and to provide additional rooms'
for indoor activities;
redecorating the main room and
replacing worn-out heating and
air conditioning equipment
where necessary. The proposals
that we have received are very
exciting but their costs will
determine the final amount of
remodeling that can be done. I
might add that if anyone has
not been contacted by the
Building Fund Committw and
would like to participate, please
call me and I will be happy to
discuss it with you.
Our membership is con
tinuing to increase. Currently it
is about 50 more than it was at
this time last year. More new
families are moving into
Charlotte and many of them as
well as families currently living
here are joining the center. We
hope to have 500 members
before the end of this year. We
cordially invite everyone who
are not currently members to
join. A simple phone call to the
center office will get you all of
the details.
'I’here are a large number of
people, both volunteers and
staff members who work very
hard for the JCC. Without their
efforts, the center could not
operate. They plan its activities
and its day to day maintenance
and operation. These people do a
marvelous job but they can
always use more help. If you
would like to serve on any com
mittee or if you have any
suggestions that would benefit
the JCC, please call me as I need
your help.
1 would like to close this arti
cle by encouraging everyone to
use the center as much as possi
ble. That is its purpose. We have
a great facility for both summer
and winter activities. The more
we use it, the more we like it and
the more that we get our
money’s Worth. It is your center
and 1 would like to see you there.
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