page 6—THE NEWS-December 1979
This "N That
Dr. Earl Backman, director
of the UNCC Center for Inter
national Studies, recently was
named to the council’s commis-
sion on international
educational relations.
* * * *
Nominated for a Morehead
Award is Jeff Goreiick, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Shelton Gorelick.
He is a senior at Charlotte Coun
try Day and is president of the
student council and National
Honor Society, captain of their
soccer team, and past president
of the state chapter of BBYO.
« * * *
The Little Theatre Student
Guild is presenting
“Cinderella” this month. Play
ing in the orchestra for this
musical production is Darren
Mond, cellist, and Hannah
Palin, flutist. Both are seniors
at East Mecklenburg high
school. Both Darren and
Sherry Yudell (also a senior at
East) toted their cellos up to
Burlington, N.C. where they
were accepted as members of the
All-State orchestras.
* * * *
Ruth Silverberg was ap
pointed International Relations
Representative from the South
Carolina Association of Univer
sity Women at the U.N. Seminar
(met Nov. 16-17). Ruth resides in
Rock Hill.
* * * ■»
Recently appointed to the
National Board of the Women’s
Commission is Natalie (Mrs.
Norman) Cohen.
* * « *
The first Jane R. Wilkes
Award for ^^outstanding
contributions to public un
derstanding health and
hospitals during the past
year** has been presented to
Bob Conn. He was cited for his
seven-part, 39-story series on
medical costs. He was also one
of five in Charlotte recognized
by the Hospital Public Relations
award committee (the others
were all associated with the
hospitals). Bob is medical editor
of The Charlotte Observer.
* * * *
Bob Millman has been
elected president of the Men’s
Apparel Association of the
Carolinas.
A booklet on protection for
coeds has been written by €^ri
(Mrs. Stanley) Gertzman. A
girl scout leader for many years,
she spearheaded this project for
the C^irl Scouts and got it un
derwritten by a grant from
Readers Digest. The booklet is
written in play form and covers
such categories as assault, rape,
etc. It is being distributed free to
students enrolled at our local
colleges.
* * * *
East Mecklenburg High
School recently held a very
successful Club Week which is
sponsored ' by the Inter-Club-
Council. Steve Langman,
president of the ICC, played an
essential role in organizing and
planning most club activities.
SHAMROCK
REALTY
4935 Albemarle Road
Leasing Agents For:
Granville Town House
Apts.
Albrecht Manor
Sharon Arms Apts.
Starmount
Shopping Center
Phone 537-6231
Women’s Div. - Federation
To “Meet The Challenge”
The Wall
“A critical period in our
history! The challenge of the un
met needs among world Jewry! I
never knew that that hospital
was 85% Federation-funded!”
The comments ranged from
enthusiasm to surprise to shock
to admiration when over 40 com
mitted Charlotte Jewish women
of Women’s Division of Federa
tion joined in studies, seminars
and training in preparation for
sharing in the task of educating
and soliciting a community.
The kick-off of the 1980 season
of Women’s Division of Federa
tion began November 19 at a
sherry and conversation hour
held at the home of Maxine
(Mrs. Alvin) Levine. Guest*
speaker, Mrs. Sandy Epstein of
Atlanta, C^rgia, shared her ex
periences of her involvement
with national politics, a recent
trip to Israel and her involve
ment at the national level of
Women’s Division of United
Jewish Appeal. The group ex
amined the role of women in
what Mrs. Epstein terms “a
critical period in our history.”
That evening and the follow
ing morning Sandy Epstein
conducted solicitor training
sessions for the women solicit
ing for the 1980 Women’s Divi
sion Federation campaign.
These stimulating and thought
provoking sessions clariHed the
vital importance of the cam
paign and the necessity to
educate all of our people regard
ing the critical issues, both
domestic and abroad, that we all
face today.
Gail Bienstock, 1980 Cam
paign Co-chairperson. Not
pictured: Rose Luski, 1980
Campaign Co-chairperson.
BRUSSELS (JTA) - Gerald
Green, author of the NBOTV
“Holocaust” series and the book
that followed, has been award
ed a “Dag Hammarskjold Prize”
for his contribution to history
and better international under
standing. The jury presents 10
such awards every year.
Another of this year’s recipients
is Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat. The award ceremony
took place here last month.
Jane Goodman, 1980 Cam
paign Co-chairperson.
Feedback
In the November issue of “The News” we ran an article in
reference to the state of North Carolina naming Yom Kippur
as a state holiday. It seems that there has been some confu
sion pertaining to this, as to whether or not state employees,
teachers, etc., would be able to take the holiday off and still get
paid.
Senator Marshall A. Rauch of Gastonia has been in
touch with the Attorney General’s office and, according to the
N.C. Attorney General’s office, the bill which was passed will
probably have little effect unless other things occur. With
respect to state employees generally, the designation of paid
holidays is made by the State Personnel Board. Because
Yom Kippu^ is now an officially recognized holiday, the
State Personnel Board could designate this as a legal holiday
for state employees, and for which state employees would be
paid without'actually working that day. Any designation of
Yom Kippur as an official state holiday for which state
employees are paid without working would have to be made
under the present law by the State Personnel Board.
With respect to teachers in the public schools, each local
board of education designates which days are legal holidays.
Also, during legal holidays courts may continue to function,
processes may be served, etc. Whether a courthouse is closed
on any particular holiday is decided by the local board of coun
ty commissioners. However, since Yom Kippur has now been
officially recognized as a state holiday, it could be designat
ed by the State Personnel Board as a paid holiday; local
boards of education could recognize Yom Kippur as a paid
holiday for its teachers; and, public places of business in
operation could be closed should the governing body deter
mine that to be desirous.
niflnn TRflva/
0
a
Let us handle your travel needs, big
or smalli. Our services are FREE.
1 NCNB Plaza
Phone: 333-1611
This is the second in a series of articles about Mr.
Bienstock*s recent trip to Israel.
Marilyn Shapiro, Plresi-
dent of Women*8 l^vision,
Charlotte Jewish
Federation.
by Marvin Bienstock
1 first saw “The Wall” at an
almost deserted hour late on a
Friday evening. I walked across
the endless courtyard and
watched its massiveness grow
before me. Its stones dwarfed
me; they pressed down on me
with centuries of history. It
stood in the silence of the Shab-
bat night like a monolithic
witness to past glory. I was not
drawn to remain in its
ponderous shadow.
Days later I returned in the
sunlight. “The Wall” was part of
an archeological tour of the Old
City. In the bright glare I was
relieved to find clumps of
vegetation growing among the
stones. They spoke silently to
me of the will to survive and
they spoke more eloquently
than the rocks from which they
sprung. Tucked in at “The
Wall’s” base were people who,
like the spare growth above
them, were clumped together
each cluster seeming to struggle
for survival through its own
muted or shouted prayers.
That same day I learned that
“The Wall” is not the last rem
nant of the Temple. Its distinc
tion lies in its having been the
only portion of a much larger
wall which has remained ex
posed to view. I saw vast ad
ditional sectors which had been
recently exposed by careful
digging. Shafts sunk in the
ground had exposed layer upon
layer of stones reaching down
until they were lost to light. We
threw pebbles and listened for
the faint chinking sound when
they finally reached bottom. My
newfodnd knowledge
strengthened me. “The Wall”
wasn’t a “saving remnant” it
was part of a much greater
whole all of which had endured.
The key revelation was yet to
come. It happened with the com
ing of Shabbat to Jerusalem. I
moved as part of a stream of peo
ple which flowed toward the Old
City. At each intersection the
stream merged with others and,
finally, as we burst into the cour
tyard before “The Wall” the
streams merged into a great
river of Judaism which surged
to a halt and broke into prayer-
filled eddies each adding its in
dividual sound until the overall
rushing noise of Jews welcom
ing the Shabbat became almost
overwhelming. Then I realized
what had been missing for me -
people. Without them it was just
a wall. With them it was “The
Wall”. The intensity of their
devotion breathed life into the
stone. It no longer loomed above
and pressed down on me. In
stead it soared away from me
toward the heavens.
Moving about I found myself
staring back in the direction
from which 1 had entered the
courtyard. My ears heard the
massed chorus of a “nigun” a se
cond before my eyes spotted the
tip of a white-shirted stream of
students from a Yeshiva. They
cursed down toward me linked
together hand to shoulder, hand
to shoulder. Their singing grew
louder not only from proximity
but from the swelling of their
ranks as they welcomed
everyone to join them. They
reached their destination and
their line bent into a circle
which moved to a rhythmic
shuffling beat. Their single
“nigun” was replaced by a
succession of melodies as they
wove around and around. TTien
the circle broke. It was again a
single file. The original song
was begun and the students
snaked away and disappeared,
leaving the courtyard at the
same point where they had
entered it.
Their departure triggered a
potent reaction. It was as if they
had given permission for ex-
huberance. Music and gentle
dancing filled the area. Long-
bearded Chassidim sang and
circled with their bright eyed
grandsons. Yemenites stood
tightly together swaying and
chanting and passing out sweet
smelling greenery to everyone
who came within reach. In the
back sections of the courtyard,
groups of teens from the United
States and from France dis
covered their songs were the
same and blended.
Eventually t'.e river reversed
itself and flowed away breaking
into its streams, creeks and
finally rivulets which ended at
countless Shabbat dinner
tables. I stayed along with the
few who never seemed to leave.
Again the scene looked as it had
when I had come the very first
time, but I “saw” it so different
ly now. With the reluctance we
feel when leaving a friend’s
home after a warm visit I tore
myself away and went to join
my companions.
It was the sweetest shabbat I
have ever known.
CARR AS REALTY COMPANY
Ann Langman
• For All Your Real Estate Needs
MLS
Office 526-6900
Residence 364-1691
Happy Chanukah
Ohe £ IcQant Oouch
V
on
The Park
THE FINEST DESIGNER LINGERIE
Sieepwear • Daywear
Loungewear • Foundations
The ultimate in ^'innerwear'* fashions
-Marilyn Roth
OPEN MON-SAT 10-9
365-1057
-Dorothy Shapiro
ON THE PARK
6401 Morrison Blvd.
“t*