T
Tlic Cliarlottc
JEWISH
5007 Providence Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28226
Address Correction
Requested
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage PAID
Charlotte, NC
Permit No, 1208
V0I.16N0.8
September, 1994
Israel Retreat Campaign Chairman's Retreat Held in Israel
by Sara Schreibman •
During the last week in June,
I was privileged to be in Israel
on a mission with 50 other
people who represented Jewish
communities from all over the
United States. The United Jew
ish Appeal Annual Chairman’s
& Director's Retreat was held
for the first time in Israel so that
we could all witness and experi
ence first hand, our partnership
with the people of Israel. It had
been 11 years since Mike (my
husband) and I were in Israel.
The changes that had taken
place are almost indescribable.
In many ways, Jerusalem, like
Charlotte, is enjoying a building
boom: cranes everywhere, ma
jor construction projects under
way and new housing rising on
every hillside.
There was an emphasis dur
ing the mission, to help us real
ize that the Israeli f>eople are our
family and that not only do we
share a common past, but com
mon visions and common wishes
for the future as well. We also
have a collective responsibility to
take care of Jews everywhere
and nowhere is that more evi
dent than in Israel.
On our first morning in Is
rael we visited Hadassah Tech
nical College. I could immedi
ately see our partnership, not
only with the school in Israel but
with Hadassah women every-
Campaign Chairman Visits Gaza Strip on Recenf Trip To Israel
Pictured (from left)are Audrey Krakovitz, Shai Chermesh, Chair of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Sara
Schriebman, Brigadier General in Charge of Gaza Strip security and armed Israeli soldier.
years, sitting at computer termi
nals in this class. I was even
more amazed when I looked at
a screen and saw that the pro-
where whose dollars are sup
porting this school in the same
way that dollars from our Fed
eration are supporting it. The
first classroom we entered was
a computer programming class.
I got a satisfying feeling as I
witnessed Ethiopian Jews, who
have been in Israel about three
gramming language was En
glish. The expectations for these
students were very high - com
municate in Hebrew, program
using the English language. The
goal- become contributing Is
raeli citizens.
From the college we trav
elled to the Russian Olim Cul
tural Center to talk to the direc
tor and a number of volunteers
who are creating programs and
opportunities to assist the Olim
to acculturate into Israel’s so
ciety. I was most impressed
with an older woman who, by
her own admission, was too old
to get a “job.” Instead, she is
seeking grants and creating pro
grams to provide opportunities
for the Olim to enjoy the cul
tural life in Israel and to inter
act with Israel’s young children
as well as to experience other
programs that will assist them
in getting settled into society.
Her energy and enthusiasm
made us all feel that the efforts
on behalf of the 500,000 Jews
from the former Soviet Union
was in excellent hands, the com
mitted hands of one of their own.
We next had lunch at Beit
Canada, an Absorption Center
where the families who were
recently rescued from Yugosla
via were our special guests.
Seated at my table was the 11-
Inside The C JN
Ma/ You All have a
Healrhy and
Jewish Family Service...Page 7
Comenred New
yean
Jewish Federation..
rbe
Teen Page
EdiTOKial Boand and Srapf
JCC
Of The
Candlelighting
ChanloTTt Jewish
News
year old granddaughter of
Hardaga Susie, a Righteous
Gentile. Mrs. Susie and the other
members of her family were
there. Her daughter, Ava, who
is going through conversion,
spoke about their experience of
going to the Jewish Agency to
ask to be rescued. We then
viewed a videotape and saw the
Susie family among the crowds
of people being rescued. One
could truly feel the danger of this
rescue and the genuine miracle
of getting all the Jews and oth
ers out of that place.
Exposure to Jewish continu
ity and Jewish education were
two areas of great importance
during this mission. We were
able to visit two youth programs
- the first, the Livnot Center
where Jewish youth from all
over the world came together in
search of their Jewishness. In
this program they leam about
their Jewish roots and heritage
and at the same time work with
Jewish people in Israel, experi
encing their Judaism in an in
tense way. The other youth pro
gram we visited was OTZMA,
a ten month Israel experience for
college students, many of whom
had already finished college.
These students, who w ere spon
sored in part by the Federation
in their home communities, have
made a commitment to bring
back to their communities their
talents and experiences. Some
of the young men and women
we spoke to were planning to
enter Jewish Federation or Jew
ish Community Center profes
sional lives. Others were going
to become Rabbis or teachers in
their synagogues’ Hebrew and
Sunday schools.
Sara Schriebman
The future of our Jewish
communities is very exciting if
these young people and these
programs are any indication.
End of Part One