Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish news. / May 1, 1986, edition 1 / Page 13
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 13-THE NEWS-May, 1986 Academy Gala Honors Founders—— A bit off nostalgia: Dr. Stan Reiziss instructing group of Academy’s first students. estimates Luski. After the Academy moves, the property will be sold and proceeds turn ed over to the Foundation of the Charlotte Jewish Community. Money alone, of course, was not enough to start the Academy. The idea of opening a Jewish day school in Charlotte, where students would study both secular and Judaic studies, was first en couraged by Rabbi Michael Hecht, rabbi at Temple Israel prior to Rabbi Richard Rocklin’s arrival in 1970. Several meetings about such a school were held. Also, the late I.D. Blumenthal had helped launch a day school in Greensboro in 1969 and wanted to see one in Charlotte. He had a vision that, one day, four Jewish day schools would feed students to a central state Hebrew high school in Clem mons, N.C. The event that galvanized Charlatteans into action was a tragic auto accident that took the lives of two brothers, as one drove the other to after noon Hebrew school at Temple Israel. “The entire town was devastated by news of the ac cident,” says Luski. During the shiva period for Michael and Jonathan Baron, as members of the Jewish community met for minyan at the Baron home, people began to talk and plan. The Baron family wsuit^ memorial con tributions to be used to establish a day school and the rabbis of the three synagogues quickly lent their support. September 1,1971 was set for the school opening. Enormous Efforts Expended In Short Time Besides acquiring the house and property, an enormous amount of planning, renovat ing, hiring, fund-raising and purchasing had to be done in nine months. “The people who really worked on setting the school up were Marvin Baron, me, Hilbert Fuerstman and Saul Brenner,” remembers Stanley Kornfeld. “Hilbert was one of the unsung heroes. Typically, he would pick me up at 11:30 p.m. to handle some crisis at a meeting at the Barons’.” The founding of the day school coincided with the open school movement. Its first director. Dr. Slann Reiziss, had experience with non graded open classroom teaching. The school also began in the midst of the tur moil resulting from court- ordered busing in the public school system. Families were discouraged from registering their children at the Academy to avoid busing, however, and, in fact, few had this motiva tion for sending their children to the new school. Parental support for the school was not broad-based in Charlotte. “There were some families who were for it, but there was anti-day school sen timent, too. You heard the same arguments then that you hear today,” says Kornfeld. “We thought if we had a pro gram (open school) that parents would like, we’d get some students.” The first year, 20 students, ages five to eight, were enrolled. Later, in 1976, Rabbi San ford Tucker became director and the school’s Judaic pro gram and profile were strengthened. Enrollment rose to the high 40’s, taxing the school’s physical facilities which were in need of major repairs. Federation Gives Support I.D. Blumenthal and Morris Speizman not only donated money to meet these needs, they also championed the school and won critical fund ing from the Charlotte Jewish Federation. Other individuals also donated money and the Jewish community turned out in force at the first fund raising Gala in 1978 to hear Abba Eban speak. The school’s strong program and unique Jewish environ ment have been maintained by subsequent directors Raphael Panitz, Eleanor Weinglass (1981-1985), interim director Berta Straz, and many excep tionally talented and dedicated teachers. But it has been the peirents and a hard core of friends who have kept the school alive through staff changes, enroll ment ups and downs and fin£uicial problems. “Money itself is not going to make the school,” says Luski. “It takes a nice crowd of com mitted young parents. That’s what makes it a reality.” Many of those parents and parents of Academy alumni will be cooking, arranging and decorating for the June 1 Gala. Ann Abel is chairing the event. Peggy Gartner is in charge of the food. Stephen Fishman will serve as master of ceremonies, as the founding “investors” are honored and a drawing is held for a Jewish art object and numerous door prizes. The Academy is on the brink of a second beginning. In many ways it is as challeng ing as the first, but today there are many more sup porters to see it through the next 16 years. Join them at the Gala. CO Krogering for a wide variety of your favorite R05bEC foods Empire Frozen Kosher Foods • Pie Crust • Potato Latkes • Natural Cut Potatoes • Challah Dough • Chall-ettes • Rye Bread • chicken • Breaded Mushrooms • Pot Pies • Pizza • Bageis • English Muffin Mix • Frozen Bilntzes (large variety) • Bagel Pizza • Garlic Bread • Liver spread Maniscliewitz Brand • Matzos • Soup Mixes • Borscht • Soups • Mdtzo Ball Mix • Mdtzo Ball Broth • Cefllte Fish • Whiteflsh & Pike • Potato Kugel Mix • Matzo Meal • Matzo Ball Soup • Bakit Others • Noodles by Goodman, Greenfield and Mrs. Weiss • Soups by Carmel, Croyden House, Goodman and Telma • Mother’s Schav • Mother's All Whiteflsh • Rokeach Old Vienna Fish • Rokeach Tomato & Mushroom Sauce • Wolff Groats/Kasha • Joyva Halvah Candy • Kedem Grape Juice • Rokeach Pareve coffee creamer • Swee-TQuch-Nee Tea Bags • Panni Shredded Potato Pancake Mix • PannI Bavarian Potato Pancake Mix • Pasteurized Coats Milk J^HHSCh Mam.
May 1, 1986, edition 1
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75