Pagt2-THE NEWS-Augutt 1183
Spotlighting Federation
By Richard A. Klein
A recent informal canvas
of Charlotte’s Jewish youth
revealed a distressingly low
percentage of our children
know much about how to
give their money.
They certainly know how
to spend their money. Some
are making commendable ef*
forts at saving what they
acquire. But precious few
have been taught the merits
of actually parting with
money for the benefit of
those in need, particularly
their fellow Jews.
This does not bode well for
the future.
The Federation is making
some efforts at correcting
what could easily develop in
to a “Tzedakah vacuum'*
within five to ten years. With
the cooperation of Char*
lotte’s synagogues and
Hebrew Academy, Federa*
tion leaders and teachers are
attempting to explain what
the Federation does, the im
portance of contributing and
actually accepting a dona
tion from the children.
Among the most suc
cessful efforts was the
development by Bobbie
Pollard and Marvin Bien-
stock of small pushkehs that
each child could take home,
collect money and bring back
for ultimate distribution to
Federation charities and
Israel. A renewed dedication
at getting the pushkehs to
the children will be made
this fall.
Most important of all is
the actual explanation to the
children. Few have any idea
what a “Federation” is or
why it exists. Most don’t
realize that immediate sup*
port is crucial for the ex
istence of the Blumenthal
Home in Clemmons, Hillel,
our JCC and the State of
Israel. They have to hear
this and understand that
everyone counts in a Federa
tion campaign.
In fact, our Hebrew
Academy students were
superb in their response to a
discussion about giving to
charity. They concluded that
the act of giving is much the
same as voting—and that
they were prepared to cast
their ballots in favor of local,
national and international
Jewish charities. They chose
to vote in favor of Israel’s
survival.
Presented with the facts
and the logic of charitable
giving, children find it dif
ficult to understand why
they thoiildn’t be generous.
lasts. People cannot touch
the treasure of tzedakah.
Material wealth is for this
world. Tzedakah is for the
soul. Material wealth ends
with the grave. Tzedakah is
for eternity. Material wealth
is for amassing. Tzedakah
Indeed, they give lovingly
from the heart.
One local youth, David
Asrael, son of Dr. and Mrs.
Gerson Asrael, set the exam
ple for everyone by targeting
10% of all cash he received
for his Bar Mitzvah and giv
ing it to the Charlotte Jewish
Federation! What a wonder
ful mitzvah!
We parents are quick to
see to it that our young peo
ple have money when they
“need it.” The children often
receive allowances, or find
ways to earn the cash they
want for T-shirts, records or
tapes and movies. The fact
is, we encourage our youth to
understand money, what it
represents and how to spend
it.
But we do a grave misser-
vice to our children and our
community when we don’t
also take time to teach, as
David Asrael has obviously
learned, the act of charity.
Jacob Neusner has written
an excellent new book,
“Tzedakah” (Rossel Books,
copyright 1982), that clearly
spells out our obligations to
ourselves and our children:
“What we do for tzedakah
benefits my world.**
Neusner concludes his
book by reminding us that
what we give to Jewish
charities and Israel is
nothing short of holy.
“When you work for
tzedakah, you are doing the
equivalent of prayer or study
or keeping the Sabbath or
carrying‘out any other mitz
vah. Not only so, but if you
do nothing else but tzeda
kah, you are doing what is
all-important.”
We can look to our schools
and our religious institutions
to teach our young people
much about the world and
how to survive it. But we
can’t depend on them to give
our children a heart or
capacity for giving generous
ly to those in need. This we
must do ourselves as respon
sible parents, grandparents,
relatives and concerned in
dividuals.
In truth, how many other
acts can we think of that
should have a higher prior
ity? May it be our legacy that
we taught our children to
perform the holy act of
tzedakah—and that they
followed our good example.
Across The Editors^ Desks
We at the Home look forward
to your newspaper each month
and find it to be entertaining
and informative. We especially
enjoyed your pages 12 and 13 of
the June/July issue introducing
the services and organizations
available in the Charlotte
Jewish community.
I am writing to ask whether
the Blumenthal Jewish Home
could be included in this in the
future. Though the Home is not
located i n Charlotte, we see
ourselves as part of your com
munity.
We currently have approx
imately 30 residents (almost
25% of our population), who are
former residents of Charlotte. A
large contingent of our govern
ing board are Charlottonians. In
addition, the Federation grants
us a generous annual subsidy,
and many of the listed organiza
tions support the Home with
their regular visits.
I hope this can be corrected.
We do enjoy a very close feeling
as one community. “Together
we are...”
Sincerely,
A1 Mendlovitz
Executive Director
Editors ’ Note:
We are pleased that the
residents and staff at the
Blumenthal Home enjoy our
paper. Yes, we will be happy to
include information on the
home.
There are many things that
the Jewish Community Cexiter
has done for our children, but
this time I can not let Day Camp
pass with just a “thanks”.
The atmosphere that Cary
Bernstein as director and Adam
Bernstein as co-director have
created at the Day Camp is ter
rific. As a parent of two campers
I wish to give them and their
staff an extra accolade. It is a
true experience to see children
learning and enjoying. The rap
port the staff has with campers
is very moving.
The camp committee should
also be thanked for all of their
continued support. I hope each
member of the JCC and the
Board of the JCC have the op
portunity to see this year’s Day
Camp in action.
—Terri Cathcart
Center of Jewish Community
Seen Shifting Toward Orthodox
By Ben Gallob
(Copyright 1983, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
An expert on Jewish sociology, declaring he was more con
cerned about attrition of the Jewish comnaunity than its
assimilation because the Jewish community is hostile
toward having children,” predicted that the center of gravity
will shift toward the Orthodox because they will be “the sur
vivors.”
The forecast was made by Milton Himmelfarb, editor of
the American Jewish Year Book and director of information
and research of the American Jewish committee. He was one
of ten experts invited by Hadassah magazine to a dialogue at
Hadassah House in New York City to suggest how “the
rapid course” of assimilation in America might be reversed.
In discussing his concern about attrition as a greater
danger to the Jewish community than assimilation, Him
melfarb said “we must have bodies to Judaize. Just to main
tain the population at its present level, we need three
children per family.’ ’ ,
“The problem has been analyzed,” said Charlotte Jacob
son, chairman of the magazine. “What we hope to hear today
is what solution can be suggested for the American Jewish
community, which in many ways is different from other
diaspora communities.”
Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg of Englewood, N.J. declared that
“since aliya and self-ghettoization are obviously rejected by
the majority of American Jews, who are both products and
beneficiaries of our great open society, other middle options
must be sought.” He commented that “communal Judaism;
doing good deeds; fighting anti-Semitism and promoting
human rights have not been effective. Nor is there a pool of
immigrant stock” to “continue enriching the Jewish com
munity. What else should be tried?”
Blu Greenberg, president of the Jewish Book Council, said
the problem was “to maintain the balance between the social
advances of our modern society and to maintain Jewish iden
tity.” She pointed out the disproportionate number of
Jewish singles and divorces and said that the Jewish
establishment, particularly rabbis, should devote more time
to match-making, marital counseling and seeking ways to
reinforce and stabilize the Jewish family.
Rachel Cowan, program director of Cong^^egation Anshe
Chezed in New York, who converted to Judaism as her hus
band, Paul, discovered his roots and became a “bom-again
Jew,” said that mixed marriage “can be viewed as an oppor
tunity and can deepen the Jewish community.” She urged
more communal attention to the families of such marriages,
including parents of the spouses and the grandchildren “to
overcome alienation.”
Anne Rolphe, author of “Generation Without Memory,”
warned that American Judaism “must inspire youth with
Jewish idealism.” She added that “unless a way is found to
incorporate the Jewish woman into the tradition, neither the
modern woman nor her daughter will remain within the
fold.”
Rabbi Walter Wurzburger, president of the Synagogue
Council of America, said that “gefilte fish Judaism won’t
suffice. We must cultivate a deep personal religious voca
tion.” He urged a free Jewish educational system to take
priority over health and social services — even over aid to
Israel.
Rabbi Richard Israel, director of the Greater Boston Hillel
Foundation, proposed “many Jewish environments, if we
are to keep our children within the community. These in
clude day schools, colleges with a large Jewish community,
Jewish camps and discouragement of interdating.” He said
there is a high correlation between a tolerance of interdating
and intermarriage, just as there is between keeping Jewish
identity and keeping kosher in the home. He added “we
should all spend time in Israel.”
Rabbi Daniel Syme, education director of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, described how the UAHC
is providing a more intensive and substantive Jewish educa
tion not only for children but “as a life-long enterprise.” He
listed more nursery schools and parent groups; adult educa
tion, including camping and Israeli trips; assignment of field
workers to campuses; development of study programs for
television and computers; and outreach to mixed married
couples.
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
Published monthly by:
Jewish Community Center
Charlotte Jewish Federation
Foundation of Charlotte Jewish Community
Afarvin Bienatock, Director
Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Eleanor Weinglasa, Director
Editors Ann Langman A Rita Mond
Advertising Blanche Yams
Cartoonist Monroe KaU
Copy demdliae the 6tb of each moatb
P.O. Box 220188, Charlotte, N.C. 28222
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