The Charlotte Jewish News - November, 1995 - Page 11
Travel
By Maxine Silverman
Solid As A Rock
The “Solid As A Rcx:k” ad
campaign for a national insurance
company has made the Rock of
Gibraltar familiar to millions of
people. This summer, Gary and I
took a cruise from Lisbon to
Barcelona where the first port-of-
call, Gibraltar, is home to that fa
mous rock. We were expecting to
disembark, climb the rock, shop and
Main Street were owned by Jews.
Today, the Jewish population num
bers between 600 and 700. .
While Jews are not a major
ity, their presence in Gibraltar is well
received, ki the last 20 years, Jews
have held two of the highest public
official positions- mayor and chief
minister. The conservative commu
nity honors the Sabbath, and Mr.
I'm standing inside the elegant mahogany and marble
synagogue, Shaar Hashamayim. Built in 1768, it is the oldest
synangogue in Gibraltar.
Mr. A.M. Siiverstein and I are standing in front of the Torahs in
Shaar Hashamayim. One of the Torahs is more than 250 years
old.
return to the ship. Instead, what we
uncovered was a lively Jewish com
munity that is just as firmly embed
ded in Gibraltar as the rock itself
After climbing the Rock,
which is a tourist must-do, Gary and
I wandered along Main Street down
town where we noticed Stars of
David on many of the buildings’
walls. When a gentleman wearing a
kipot came out of one of the build
ings, I introduced myself to him.
His name was Mr. A.M. Is
rael, and his was one of the very first
Jewish families to settle in Gibraltar
after leaving Spain in the 1700s.
Delighted by our interest, Mr. Israel
asked us to meet him at one of the
city’s four synagogues, Shaar
Hashamayim, in a half-hour to see
the inside and talk about Gibraltar’s
Jewish community.
Mr. Israel explained that most
of the city’s Jews are Sephardic and
conservative in their beliefs. Their
families fled Spain and settled as
merchants in Gibraltar. At onejiwint,.
more than half of the stores along
Israel estimates that better than 80%
observe kashrut.
Gibraltar is supported by four
synagogues, including the oldest,
Shaar Hashamayim, which Gary and
I toured with Mr. Israel. Founded in
1768, it is a beautiful building with
mahogany pews and marble floors.
It also houses several of the city’s
18 Torahs, including one that is
more than 250 years old.
In addition to the synagogues,
Gibraltar has a Jewish day school
and 3 Kosher markets. (Kosher food
is imported from Britain and the
Netherlands.) For the American Jew,
Gibraltar is an easy place to visit as
English is widely spoken.
Because of Gibraltar’s size
(barely two square miles), one can
see all of the sights in a day, leaving
no stone unturned. It is a perfect day
trip to take from Southern Spain.
Better yet, several cruise ships call
on Gibraltar as they ply the Medi
terranean allowing the traveler the
day to explore before nwving along
the southern coast of Spain.
JCC’s "Celebrate The Children"
Presents
Tom Chapin
In Concert
The Jewish Community Cen
ter is proud to announce the “Cel
ebrate the Children” inaugural
event: popular family entertainer
Tom Chapin in Concert at Spirit
Square on Sunday, January 7,1996.
Tom Chapin is best known for
his warm style and creative perfor
mances geared toward children from
age 3-12i and his appeal with adults
as well. Chapin, whose best selling
tapes include Family Tree, Zag Zig
and Mother Earth, makes music that
emphasize family, a positive self im
age and taking care of the environ
ment. Although often full of ideas
and messages, his overall tone is
light, funny and engaging. Accord
ing to Parents Magazine “nobody
today is writing and performing bet
ter kids’ songs than Tom Chapin,
the Pied Piper of children’s music.”
Chapin’s tapes, CDs and
video entitled This Pretty Planet,
Tom Chapin Live in Concert, will
soon be available for sale at the JCC
front desk. All of his recordings are
perfect for birthday and Chanukah
gifts!
“Celebrate the Children,”
chaired by Jane Weaver Sobel, is a
project designed to raise funds for
the JCC’s Children and Family pro
grams and services, which benefit
the entire Charlotte community.
“The possibilities are exciting,” ex
plains Sobel “for expansion in our
Children and Family Departni^t.
We hope to increase the kinds of
opportunities we can offer while
maintaining the current standard of
programs. The money we raise will
also go toward our scholarship pro
gram, insuring that everyone who
wants to participate can.”
“Celebrate the Children”
boasts a strong team of subcommit
tee chairs including Vicki Derderian
for Publicity, Larry Farber and Robin
Heiden for Performance and Hospi
tality, Lisa Platock for Sales and
Melissa Raphael for Sponsorships.
Advance tickets are now on
sale through Family Sponsorships.
Borrowing the name of one of
Chapin’s signature tunes. ..the Fam
ily Tree sponsors will support the
event in a special way. For $ 100,
Family Tree supporters will receive
four tickets, an invitation to a pre
concert reception in honor of all our
family and corporate sponsors and
special recognition in all material
regarding the event. The committee
is hoping to encourage /amilies to
support “Celebrate the Children” is
this significant way. After all, Jane
Sobel reminds us “our children are
definitely worth celebrating!”
Lisa Platock, chairing the
Sales subcommittee, also explains
another special feature of the Fam
ily Tree sponsorship program.
“Those without children can also
participate,” she says “by joining the
Family Tree and donating the tick
ets back to the JCC. We will then
give those tickets t6 families that
could not otherwise afford to attend.
We really expect the whole commu
nity will want to get involved.”
For more information on pur
chasing a Family Tree sponsorship,
or petting involved in the “Celebrate
the Qiildren” conunittc«, c^l Roni ^
Fishikin at the JCC - 366-5()07.
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