Page 2-THE NEWS-June-July. 1984
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
PubUshed monthly by:
Charlotte Jewish Federation
Foundation of Charlotte Jewish Community
Marvin Blenstock, Director
Jewish Community Center Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Martin Schneer, Director
Editor. Rita Mond
JCC editor. Ann Langman
Advertising mgr. Blanche Yarns
Copy deadline the 10th of each month
P.O. Box 220188, Charlotte, N.C. 28222
Tkm mppmmrmmcm ot mdvmrttmtmg Im Tkm Nmwm do«a mot eommMatm a kmakrmth
•mdormammmt.
From the Desk of Marty Schneer
—JCC Executive Director
Editorial
Distant Family Seems
Farther When Health Fails
“Everyone gets old some day" but when it happens
to you or to your loved ones it is hard to believe. Even
worse is when one gets old and critically ill...what can
they do when they are alone and ailing? If they can
not live with family who can take care of them, then
the alternatives are either hiring ‘round the dock care
or going to a home. We are fortunate in this communi
ty that we have the Blumenthal Jewish Home for the
Aged, but not all communities have the same type
of facility available.
The situation for elderly parents living in other
areas from where their children live is becoming more
and more prevalent. This is very true in Charlotte,
a community of people coming from all over the U.S.
and many nations who have left their families “back
home.” It is especially so in the case of the many
retirees who left for the Sunshine State thinking that
is the place to enjoy their late years. However, when
sickness occurs, they are very much alone.
National statistics show that families provide
about 80 percent of all care for the elderly. But there
is no way to quantify how well family members cope
with the strain of worrying long-distance about their
parents. In the case of one elderly individual if she
becomes seriously ill, she has agreed to give up her
condominium and move in with her daughter. It is
a pledge that her single daughter, a New York native,
hopes is never tested. Her mother states: “This is
where I belong (Miami), with my contemporaries. I
don’t want to be a problem to my children. I want
them to love me as I love them.”
Distance may make the heart grow fonder, but it
also increases worry, frustration and guilt among far
away family members. Some adult children cope by
fitting hefty phone bills into their monthly budgets.
Others learn flight schedules and uneasily watch
p2irents take another chemce on their own. More and
more children of retirees have to adapt to a new life
style that includes regular trips to boarding or nurs
ing homes, weekly or monthly flights to visit. It can
be emotionally and physically e^austing.
Planning regular visits can help, researchers say.
So can agreeing on a plan in case of a debilitating
illness.
The National Council on Aging is surveying sup
port groups for families who care for the elderly. It
plans a national symposium later this year in
Washington, D.C. The survey, it hopes, will help ex
plain the rippling effect of elderly illnesses on faniilies.
Candlelighting
/i Vi;- June 15 - 8:22 p.m.
July 13-8:21 p.m.
June 22 - 8:23 p.m.
July 20-8:17 p.m.
H ‘ June 29 - 8:24 p.m.
July 27 - 8:13 p.m.
tr Y July 6 - 8:23 p.m.
Aug. 3 - 8:06 p.m.
I'm sure those of you who
attended our first community-
wide Israel Independence Day
Celebration would agree that
it was a major success. Our
goal was not simply to cele
brate Israel’s miraculous
achievements but to demon
strate what can be accomplish
ed when we join together in a
shared allegiance. Our thanks
go out to the many volunteers
and organizations who made
this ambitious project a real
ity. This event serves as great
encouragement to the leader
ship of the JCC as we begin to
formalize the “Phase-in”
structure that will ease the
community’s transition to its
new central address. There are
many difficult questions to be
addressed, but if the coopera
tive spirit witnessed on Yom
Ha’atzmaut is any indication,
I’m confident that together we
can fashion a multi-faceted
and creative center for the en
tire community. The people
resources to make it happen
are unquestionably out there.
Our aim in the next few
months is to attract the many
talented and committed Jews
in Charlotte who have con
tributed so profoundly to the
cultural life of our dty, and at
tempt to incorporate their in
put in the nuts and bolts plan
ning process that lies ahead.
* « ♦
The winds of change have
once again stirred at the JCC.
Dana Klein, our Children’s
Director since December, has
resigned effective May 15.
Dana did an excellent job for
the JCC during her short
tenure and she will certainly
be missed. On a positive note
Dana’s predecessor, Cary
Bernstein, will be available to
direct the JCC’s Day Camp
Program due to a fortuitous
On The Issues
A Christian lady in Lex
ington complained to us about
an automobile she had seen
displaying a Virginia license
plate with the inscription:
“JEW-PEW.” She told us
that she contacted the Gover
nor’s office about the offensive
wording. In turn she received
a phone call from a represen
tative of the Division of Motor
Vehicles who told her that the
words were formed by the
licensee’s initials. She replied;
“I was upset that my children,
who make a game of reading
letters and words on license
plates, might see this insult
and innocently repeat it.” To
her astonishment, the official
replied: “Of course, your kids
wouldn’t even know about ‘all
this’ if you hadn’t told them.
People should just forget
about it. I think it shouldn’t be
in the history books. It’s too
morbid anyway. The Jews
have forgotten it. They don’t
blame the Germans.” Our
Christian friend wrote to the
ADL: “I found it frightening
to think that this man thinks
that he has the right to repre
sent state policy on matters
regarding Jewish history, anti-
Semitism or World War II...”
break in her career plans.
While Cary will only be with
us for the summer, her ex
perience and enthusiasm will
add significantly to our camp
program. Lisa Teitelzweig, the
J’s secretary/receptionist, has
also left our employ to assume
a promising trainee position
with another Charlotte firm.
Fortunately we are in the pro
cess of interviewing candi
dates to fill the gaps left by
these two valued staff mem
bers and we hope to be able to
annouce their replacements in
the near future.
As the sunmier approaches
the Board and Staff of the
center are making every effort
to maintain the level and qual
ity of services despite the loss
of facilities that will become
more noticeable during the
summer months. We have
taken steps to minimize any
inconvenience to the member
ship in our plans for day camp
and the pools this summer. We
anticipate constructing a tem
porary snack bar to provide a
variety of refreshments for our
members. Also, our new pool
manager Eddie Johnson pro
mises to add energy and vital
ity to our swim program.
The support of the member
ship has been greatly ap
preciated during this often dif
ficult period since the fire. We
look forward to your con
tinued cooperation and par
ticipation in our summer
programs.
•••Ira Gissen, Director NC/VA Region Anti-Defamation League
% $
I5AEL AMONG n’$ NEIQH&ORS /
ouKfNQ rr>
The ADL is making appropri
ate representations to state of
ficials regarding both the
defamatory licence plates and
the gratuitous lecture given
by a DMV representative to
our Christian correspondent.
Was that an isolated case?
A couple of Sundays ago, I
was returning from Alexand
ria where I had spoken before
the annual meeting of the
State Association of B’nai
B’rith. In my address, I had
commented upon the “JEW-
PEW’” license plate episode.
Now as we passed a south
bound car on U.S. 95,1 said to
Mike Greenberg, “Do you see
what I see?” The Virginia
plate on the car we were pass
ing, carried the inscription:
“KKK-KKK.” Some minutes
later, the same car overtook
us. It had been no mistake.
The license read “KKK-
KKK.” The state is being con
tacted about that, too.
A few weeks ago it was
noted that several holocaust
survivors who are now teach
ing the German language in
North Carolina universities
protested to ADL about an
advertisement which appeared
in their professional journal.
“The German Quarterly.” The
ad, from the discredited In
stitute for Historical Review
was for a book which claimed
that the holocaust never hap
pened. ADL protested to the
publisher of the journal. As a
result letters of apology were
issued by the president of the
association to everyone who
had sent in a complaint about
the ad. In addition, ADL
received assurances that steps
would be taken to prevent
such an ad from appearing
again. Furthermore, an ap
propriate message £q)peared in
a subsequent issue.
This past winter several
parents of high school seniors
told ADL of their concern that
graduation might be schedul
ed in conflict with Shavuos.
This, it was expected, would
result from “snow days.” In
January, letters were sent by
the ADL to superintendents of
schools. They succinctly told
of the religious significance of
the holiday and the manner in
which it is observed. Positive
responses were received from
the school superintendents
and efforts were promised to
try to avoid scheduling
conflicts.