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Page 2—THE NEWS—November 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 ^nn Langman Co-Editor Rita Mond Club Editors Rose Massachi & Mary Gordon Feature Writers Martha Brenner, Muriel Levitt & Michael Shapiro International News Marta Garelik Copy Reader Fran Burg Photographer Sam Wallace Copy deadline the 8th of each month P.O. Box U220188 Charlotte, N.C. 28222 We Are One EDITORIAL Today’s Israel has the power to make peace work and the poten tial to make peace last. With the projection of a population of five million by 1990, it means that there must be immediate expansion of land development activities. This includes road Mazing, drainage, and water storage in nearly three hundred settlements — old and new — throughout the country. Hiere are new forests to develop, new parks and recreation areas to create, many thousands of acres of wasteland to convert ... a whole world to remake in response to the enormous challenges of peace. Israel’s work in technology leads the world. Her research into solar energy, arid-area water conservation, water desalination, en vironmental science and desert agriculture are unique. Other out standing efforts include an experimental solar-powered automobile, and special architectural techniques to tame the desert climate. All of this and more has been accomplished despite the threats of war and the ever rising inflation. Israel, constantly threatened by the build-up of the FLO and Arafat, is now threatened by a war of attrition by Syria. Syria has recently received large shipments of aircraft and anti-aircraft mis sile batteries from the Soviet Union. They are expected to be supplied soon with Soviet MIG-25s, a highly sophisticated combat plane for which there is no Western counterpart in the region. :i:-In addition to supplying Syria with instruments of war, the USSR is training and supplying arms to the FLO. This group who promotes itself as a persecuted people, refugees of the Iliird World , have also caused havoc in black Africa and have supported Idi Amin while he was murdering black Christians in Uganda. There have been almost 4000 victims of all races, nationalities and religions at the hands of these terrorists in the last ten years. Their leader, Yassir Arafat, has stated he would “cut off the hands” of President Carter, President Sadat and Menachim Begin. The FLO call us “American imperialists,” make fun of our prin ciples of freedom, and mock our Statue of liberty. Arafat’s goal is that there be only Arabs in the Mid-East. As long as there is an Israel, Arafat’s threats will not come to pass. Israel will not let this happen; WE must not let this happen. We can do our part as Americans now and in the future by giving Israel our moral and financial support to make peace and the further development of Israel a reality. "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning.” Psalm 137 Dry Bones HAS ACCOS«t> US OF To SUlOiMR ARAFAT./^ 0- 'if WIWT, CoUUb SAl/THAT (000l>0 ARAFAT? y- By Marvin Bienstock, Executive Director, Jewish Federation and JeSvish Community Center (Mr. Bienstock was in Israel from August 16-26 as part of a program sponsored by the Council of Jewish Federations and the Jewish Welfare Board.) It was pleasantly cool for August in New York. A good omen for the beginning of a ten- day study mission to Israel. In the waiting room we gathered in clusters. Ihere were little knots of Federation and JCC Direc tors all chatting excitedly, ex changing stories of past trips or sparking the interest of those for whom this was the first time. Then came the baggage in spections, feeling around inside your luggage to see if it was the same as you had packed it or if something, , anything had been added — like a bomb. Another good omen — the plane left right on schedule. We had all heard stories of delays lasting hours, but not thiis time and as soon as we were airborne people were up out of their seats talking again. This time the con versations reached out to in clude the other passengers. Some were tourists, others were on business and many were Israelis returning home after trips to the U.S. Night came on, and as they showed a movie I had already seen, I found myself with time to think about where I was going, what I hoped to accomplish and about my two previous visits. In 1966, before the Six Day War, I had spent two months studying in Israel. At the end of that time I knew I had to make a decision whether to make Miyah (to im migrate) or not. I spent hours and days struggling with the choice and then made my com mitment to the American Jewish community. However, I left behind a big chunk of myself and I vowed never to forget or to lose contact with that piece of me that stayed in Israel. Ten years later I returned to Israel with a UJA Nfission; but, I felt remote and removed and the ten days I spent had little real effect on me. Now I was go ing back again, and the ques tion in my mind was — would I be able to keep that 1966 promise? Would I be able to find what I had left behind? ^ would 1 perhaps have to deal with a greater distance than just miles between myself and the land and people of Israel? With your permission, the readers of The Charlotte Jewish News, over the next months I will share with you the answers I foxmd to those .questions. I will write about people,', places, problem's, and promises fulfilled as well as new promises. But for now, in this editorial, I want to share three small moments from the ten days. Three moments which link^ Israel to Charlotte and which underlined the fact that "we ARE one.” It was Friday evening just hours after we had arrived in Israel and had been taken to our Jerusalem hotel. As the group walked from the new city to the For The Record By Norman Olshansky Rei^onkl Director ADL I am often ask^, “Why is the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish organizations so vocal when they respond to anti- Semitic incidents.” Others ask why we get involved in issues not directly involving Jews. Both questions speak to con cerns by some that visibility by the Jewish community in the general community will bring on anti-Semitism. History has taught us that we cannot remain silent and that even well meaning people will not be supportive if they don’t know or understand our con cerns or what hurts us. We also know that we do not have the in fluence, power, or control of of ficials, the media, and business as the anti-Semites espouse. Tlie truth is that the vast ma jority of people in the general community are good, well mean ing, and have a respect for and practice religious tolerance. Each faith community, ethnic, or racial group has their own priorities and concerns and often are unaware of problems as might be seen by other groups. There is a realization, however, that what effects one group could affect the other, if not now, possibly in the future. TTierefore, there is a need to dialogue, share, and work in coalition with other groups even on issues only tangentially related to “Jewish” concerns. Hie manner in which one responds to a problem is impor- jtant. Overkill^ or. making. too 'much ^bVer'a 'minOTlcdhMm'tb counterproductive. Most of our work involves two major goals: 1) education and 2) change, liirough education we hope to correct, change, or adjust cir cumstances,, attitudes, ot behaviors. ^ Sometimes a quiet discussion with the parties involved is all that is needed. Other cir cumstances might dictate an adversary or legal confronta tion. More often than not, the ADLacts in a way that is known only to the parties involved. However, in some cases the only way to confront a problem is “head on” and there should be no apologies involved. ^ We can’t ask others to s^nd up when we are unwilling to do so ourselves. Timing, style, process, when and where .a response is made contribute to its success. There is no need to act paranoid. There are enough real issues confronting the Jewish community that keep ADL and other. Jewish organizations busier than we would want. If Jews were to comply ^th the desires of the few anti- Semites in the community and out of fear remained silent to prejudice and discrimination,, we would in essence be accep ting their distorted brand' of morality; something which could ultimately lead to the destruction of our religion, culture, sense of justice, and belief in equality. old dty (headed in the direction of the Wall), Joe Cohen of the CJF and I pushed on ahead, anxious to arrive as quickly as possible. We had barely stepped through the last little entrance fence when Joe heard his name called and, turning, he ran into an old friend. After they ex changed greetings they both turned to. me and said, “You always m^t someone you know at the Wall on Friday evening.” 'I held back a cynical retort and was glad I did because just at that moment a figure brushed by me, stopped, turned around and I recognized a Rabbi I know. But, it took until the following FYiday to really com plete this first of the three moments. That next Erev Shab- bat I was leaving the Wall when I stopped to watch a group of American teenagers celebrating with singing and dancing. I ask ed where they were from and was told Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. I knew the answer before I asked the next question, “Who taught you the dances?” “Renee Tucker,” came the reply. i This was a group from the Camp wher^ Sandy and Renee spend each summer as teachers. “We ARE one.” On my second evening in Israel my roommate, the direc tor of the Baton Rouge Federa tion, and I went to enjoy the last evening of ah outdoor arts and crafts, fair being held in the shadow of the walls of the old city. After spending a pleasant hour .or so we started to push our way toward an. exit, through aisles packed'-* with people. Suddenly I found myself face to face with'Michael and Daphna Michael! and Alan and'i Susan ^mbert. The Michaelis had just returned to Israel from their three-year stay in Charlotte and to Wcn^alnemancs fora year at an-Israeli university. This was the night and the time they had choisen to get together and visit the fair. “We ARE one.” Finally, on my last evening, I emerged at 10 p.m. from the clos ing banqtiet'and entered the lob by of our hotel. 1 heard my name hesitantly called; there, stan ding by tifie main door was San dy Rosenberg, Tom and Zava’s daughter and Jenny Baicovitz’s granddaughter. Sandy and I had known each other since I came to Charlotte. She had worked for the JCC for one summer organizing teen programs. I was dumbfounded to see her and even more shock ed to learn that she was in the lobby because she lived about five blocks away and “something” had told her to take a walk that evening. The same “soniething” had told her to step into the lobby of my hotel — in which she had never been before — at just that one mo ment when 1 was there. “We ARE one.” That was the message I received during those ten days, and it is the message I share with you. These three moments are not really meta physical experiences, lliey are examples of the basic structure of Jewish Existence, of the inter relatedness of Jews everywhere. We, you and I, have ties, links, relationships, friends, friends of firiends — landsleit — through out the Jewish world. “We ARE One.” The Jewish Calendar CANDLE LIGHTING TIME Nov. 2 — 5:37 p.rti. Nov.^ 9 — 5:31 p.m. Nov. 16 — 5:26 p.m. Nov. 23 — 5:23 p.m. Nov. 30 — 5:21 p.m.
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 1979, edition 1
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