Page 2—THE NEWS—September 1979
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
Published monthly by:
Charlotte Jewish Federation
and
Jewish Community Center
Marvin Bienstock, Director
Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Rabbi Sanford Tucker, Director
Editor:
Ann Langman
Co-editor:
Rita Mond
International News: Marta Garelik
Staff:
Martha Brenner
Muriel Levitt
Saul Brenner
Fran Burg
Photographer:
Sam Wallace
Copy deadline the 8th of each month
P.O. Box #220188
Charlotte, N.C. 28222
Editorial
5740 - Time for Renewal
As the New Year approaches we are filled with gratitude for what
the past year has brought for Israel and world-wide Jewry: a long
awaited and long prayed for peace. At home, in Charlotte, we too
have taken steps towards a hiore unified and harmonious communi-
ty.
On Flosh Hashonah we are traditionally called upon to engage in
a time of self-examination; to determine for ourselves what our com
mitments will be and what goals call for our renewed energies.
Israel of course must be one of these goals, but also we must commit
ourselves to giving more of our time and energy to our community
here. ITie time is now; Jewish tradition is reaching out and helping
one another. Our community is growing and along with growth
come new needs.
The state of Israel has paid a high price for peace, which can be
reckoned with both financially and in terms of the margin of securi
ty she has lost. As we embark upon this season of renewal and
rededication, let us remember to view the new peace only as a begin
ning. Let us remember that permanent peace can be achieved only
through our continued awareness of the obstacles, through our
moral and financial support and through our vigilence.
The survival of the Jewish people throughout the generations has
been dependent on our link with Jewish tradition; a tradition that
has produced unity out of dispersion. May the sounds of the shofar
awaken our hearts and our minds to the task of preserving and
strengthening Jewish life and identity for ourselves, our families,
Israel and our community. Our enhancement and deepening of the
quality of life everywhere, and especially at home, links us inex
tricably to Jews all over the world and to the preservation of peace
and security.
Free will is granted to everyone and man is the master of his destiny
and molder of his life. He may favor the course of good and receive
merits for it, or on the other hand follow the course of evil. Every
man has the power of becoming as righteous as Moses or as wicked
as Jeroboam. You who are asleep, wake up. You who are entranced,
arise. Search your doings and repent.
- Maimonides
Dry Bones
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Community Leaders
Wish You,
Poaaibilities
Tradition has it that Rosh'
Hashonah marks the birthdate
of the world.
What a dramatic way of mak
ing us aware that every year —*
indeed, every day — we open our
eyes to new possibilities. With
us, holiness, spirituality are not
pious phrases to be dusted off for
special occasions. Holiness is
concrete; spirituality is specific,
as applied to our personal and'
communal lives.,
Item: We do God’s work in
strengthening Jewish life in our
own community, enhancing
educational opportunities for
ourselves and our children,
emphasizing the centrality of
worship, pointing always to the
covenant with God in which we
are bound.
In this connection, the “cam
pus” concept of our institutions
now being discussed represents
an exciting panorama of
possibilities.
Item: The State of Israel must
have our full measure of sup
port, both financial and
political. Our neighbors should
be made to understand better
that, for us, Israel is not merely
another country, or only the
Land of the Bible, or the Promis
ed I^nd. It represents the living
answer to the Holocaust. It is an
imperfect human society in
which, we pray, there may be ul-
timately carried out the
prophetic ideals of our faith.
Item: We are loyal and con
cerned citizens of this, our belov
ed United States. It is our
Jewish responsibility to labor
unceasingly to increase justice,
equity, understanding among
the varying ethnic and religious
groups of Americans, and to
help bring to our foreign policy
informed, moral concern.
From the families of Beth El
and from my family go our
heartfelt greetings and wishes
for a sweet and fulfilling New
Year to you and your dear ones.
Shalom,
Rabbi Harold I. Krantzler
Temple Beth Shalom
Enthusiasm
Shalom! As the newest of
Charlotte’s rabbis, I am both
excited and thrilled to be here. I
find your community- vibrant
and progressive. As I look to the
future, I am enthused about
your “Jewish campus” project
and will follow its growth
carefully.
The New Year gives us an op
portunity to reflect on the past,
and look forward to the future. I
hope that each of you uses this
most sacred time of year for the
personal retrospect it deserves.
I look forward to joining in
your community and making
myself available for your per
sonal and religious needs.
Jessica and I join in wishing
each of you a happy, healthy,
and prosperous New Year. May
you be inscribed in the Book of
Life.
L’Shana Tova,
Rabbi Douglas Weber
Temple ^th Shalom
Sharif^ The Adventure
Mine is a very transient
profession. We who direct JCCa
and Federations tend to stay
about 3 to 4 years in one place
and then move on, which has
been my pattern.
This is not a farewell speech.
Gail and I have just bought a
house off Rama Rd. and this ar
ticle is my way of explaining
why we are sinking our roots
here.
I heard a comment four years
ago: “Charlotte has a very
seductive lifestyle.” It’s true,
and I feel it most when I travel to
large metropolitan areas I used
to love so dearly. Within hours I
miss the friendliness of
Charlotte, the willingness to be
helpful, the sense of being cared
about as a person. I’ve joined
that group who like to visit
“there” but love to live “here.”
Charlotte is a city with all the ’
good qualities of a small town. I
feel that most of all within our
Jewish community. We may
talk to each other about things
we disagree on — but we talk to
each other. When I go off to
professional conferences and
tell others how Rabbi Rocklin,
Rabbi Krantzler,\Rabbi Tucker,
and I like working together and
like each other I am bouhted by
my colleagues as lucky. When I
tell them that the, presidents of
the major institutions meet
monthly to share problems and
concerns and that it takes less
than two hours for all the
organizations to clear dates for
a year, they look incredulous.
When I tell them about the
“community concept’’, they are
beside themselves with envy.
Of course it isn’t all roses.
There are days I can’t wait to see
end and mornings that come
much too soon after another
midnight meeting. But those
moments fade with the joyful
comments of pleased parents of
day campers and the statistics
which show JCC membership
up by 100 families in the last two
years.
We are building something
very special here — a model of
the Jewish community for the
future. Our building materials
are our organizations, in
stitutions and our people. Our
tools are thoughtfulness, care
for,others, concern, willingness
to give and to do. Our mutually
desired product is a community
in which each organization can
stand with pride and security.
I am honored and proud to be
able to share this continuing
adventure with you. 5740 ;— a
year of promise and hope for all
of us who count Charlotte as our
home.
Shalom,
Marvin Bienstock
Executive Director,
Federation and JCC
Retrospect and Conviction
I’m sitting in my office in
amazement. The number ten
flashes before my eyes. I have
been a part of Charlotte for ten
years. I remember those begin
nings. Avi, Tamar and Shira
were respectively four, three,
and two years old.
My life has greatly changed.
Thankfully to God, Diane is a
part of my life. I remember
standing on the pulpit ten years
ago, conducting Rosh
Hashona service. I was secretly
praying it would be a good
beginning.' I was hoping the
congrregation would respond
favorably to me. I wanted to join
this family.
' t r look back in retrospect.-
. There have been many sad
moments — friends who are no
longer here. I’ve been a part of
your life in the sorrowful and the
joyous, the Bar Mitzvahs, the
weddings, the Brisses, the baby
namings, face.to face conver
sations, the controversies, the
agreements. All in all. I’m
saftisfied and content. We are a
family./;
It’s a good season of the year.
;We alU'have’* much to be
thankful. Our lives are indeed
blessed:'
. ' I’m thankful'to God that I
work in a community where
Rabbi Krantzler and Rabbi
Tucker are my colleagues. I’m
blessed ^th Cantor Frank Birn-
baum and Marvin Bienstock.
ITiis will be a good year. Soon
we’ll hear the Shofar. Soon we’ll
hear the call of God. Soon we’ll
join together to find Him. May
God bless yoti’ as we usher in
5740, with a year of renewed
dedication to each other, a con
viction "that being a Jew is a
great privilege and responsibili
ty, and that our individual hap
pinesses are contingent on how
well we relate to each other.
Majr God inscribe you in the
Book of life;
Rabbi Richard K. Rocklin
• Temple Israel
; New Life...
Rosh Hashona is called in our
. tradition the birthday of the
world. On Rosh Hashona we
pray that each of us be given
new opportunities. It is as
though a new life and world of
possibilities opens for each of us
'tat this'time^pf tha»^eaT.^
* Over the course of the 12
months of a year we do many
things. Some of them represent
our best efforts and some of
them we would with the oppor
tunity to change. Rosh Hashona
beckons us to give birth to new
personal opportunities and
possibilities. It is at the begin
ning of the high holy days that
our fraility as human beings is
coupled with our never ex
hausted potential for growth
and change. Each of us is
capable of new beginnings and
rebirth in our lives.
We at the Academy wish to all
members of the Charlotte
Jewish community never end
ing possibilities for growth and
rebirth. May this be so in all
your personal contacts with
friends gmd family. And with
yourself.
Shana Tova,
Rabbi Sanford Tucker
& the Hebrew Academy
The
Jewish
Calendar
ij
CANDLE
LIGHTING .
TIMES
Sept., 1979
7th 6:26 EST
Nth 6:16 EST
2Ist Rosh Hashona Eve 6:06 EST
28th 5:57 £:ST
Holidays
Sept. 21st - Rosh Hashona Eve
22nd - Rosh Hashona - First Day
23rd - Rosh Hashona - Second Day
30th - Yom Kippur Eve - Kol Nidre
Oct. 1st - Yom Kippur
5th • Eve of Feast of Tabernacles 5:47
6th - First Day of Succoth 5:46