The Charlotte Jewish News -May 2008 - Page 2
From the Editor
This June will mark ten full
years that I have served as editor
of The Charlotte Jewish News.
From this seat, I have witnessed
astonishing growth and maturity
in this small community. Two
large education wings for children
from preschool through high
school; a summer campsite of
independent buildings for activi
ties beyond imagination; a second
swimming pool with slides and a
splash area; expanded synagogues
and additional religious choices in
worship and education - all this in
less than ten years.
The Charlotte Jewish News has
always tried to keep up with this
amazing growth. Our mission is to
be the voice of this community
and as it increases in size, both the
number of agencies as well as the
population, so must this newspa
per. But with expanded responsi
bilities comes higher costs. And so
we find ourselves needing to come
to you, our loyal readers for help.
On the bottom of this page is
our voluntary subscription form.
Please look this over and consider
making a donation to The
Charlotte Jewish News. A return
envelope has been inserted into
the paper this month for your con
venience.
Please remember that there
are some agencies in the Jewish
community that cannot commu
nicate with you without The
Charlotte Jewish News. Please
help us maintain the high stan
dards of reporting and breadth of
communication that you have
come to expect from CJN hy send
ing your tax-deductible donation
today.
Todah rabah.
Letters to the Editor
Editor’s Note: No single op-ed or
article published has garnered
more mail than the opinion
expressed by Ruth and Julus
SilvefTnan last month regarding
the establishment of a Jewish
facility to house active seniors. By
an overwhelming majority, the let
ters received agreed with the
Silvermans. Following is a clarifi
cation on the situation by Eric
Sklut, president of the Foundation
of Shalom Park, a defense of the
Oasis program by one of its par
ticipants, and one letter typical of
those that agreed with the
Silvermans.
The History of Senior Housing
in Shalom Park
As President of the Foundation
of Shalom Park, a native
Charlottean, and long-time part of
the Park leadership since its incep
tion, I can attest to a variety of
efforts for Seniors that I have been
personally involved with, or that
were presented to me over the past
24 years.
First and foremost, the Senior
population is at the forefront of
everyone’s list nearly any time the
Foundation meets to discuss
growth with the JCC, Federation,
and other agencies. As recently as
a few months ago Butch and I
were in a discussion regarding
property acquisition that might
have made something like this a
reality. We even gathered up some
of our “founding fathers” of the
Park to discuss this. However, the
sellers of the property had expec
tations of grandeur, wanting far
more than their property was
worth at the time, or might be
worth in the next ten years. We
still stay in contact with the prop
erty owners, and in fact, we met
with them this week to further the
discussion.
Shabbat Candle Lighting
For May 2008
Friday, May 2, 7:52 PM
Friday, May 9, 7:57 PM
Friday, May 16, 8:03 PM
Friday, May 23, 8:08 PM
Friday, May 30, 8:13 PM
JEWISH^
FEDERATIONS
A R i. O T T E
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lotte.org
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Members: Bob Abel, Alan Becker, Evelyn Berger, Jeff Epstein,
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Federation or any employees.
Published monthly except July
Even if we were to acquire
property, that would not guarantee
an immediate development. When
Hal Levinson was President of the
Foundation, he and I along with a
handful of people went to this
community to raise the dollars for
our latest expansion at the Park.
That effort was over the course of
many long years, and raised a total
of nearly $40 million. Some of
these pledges are still being paid.
It is not feasible to assume any
one, or any group, could raise the
funds needed to build a Senior
Center today. This does not mean
we don’t want to, nor does it mean
we don’t plan to. It just means the
timing, the space, and the avail
able resources are not in play.
The only housing anyone
recalls was in a very early part of
our master plan at the Park, in the
early-mid 1980s. That drawing
showed numerous items that did
not come to fruition, or were
altered or moved to other parts of
the property.
[The] comment about money
being raised and set aside is in
error. There has never been any
funding for Senior Housing that
was set aside. There was no such
“promise” that was dropped by
any of us. There was significant
funding for the Weinberg Senior
.Center along Main Street (Oasis),
and those funds are fully engaged
for that space. ... We have a very
strong and engaged Board of
Directors, who carry both a
responsibility to and compassion
for this community. We are in
touch with every facet of the com
munity, and each demographic is
represented in the makeup of our
Board. ...
In conclusion, Seniors are very
important to our community and
to the success of our Park. We are
very much open to the idea of
Senior Housing on or near Shalom
Park. But until the funds and land
are in place, it would be unreason
able to assume this could happen.
And due to the timing of other
campaigns currently underway, it
would be difficult to raise this
money right now. We are, howev
er, willing to listen to any group
with ideas on how to make this
happen.
Eric Sklut, President, Foundation
of Shalom Park
Oasis Group Deserves More
Recognition
As stated in the article there is a
need for a kosher facility for the
elderly in the city of Charlotte. It
is my fervent prayer that the won
derful Jewish community in
Charlotte will respond in a posi
tive manner to see that this hap
pens.
I arrived in Charlotte in 2005
after having lived in Englewood,
NJ for many years. I have two
daughters and their families living
here. The ultimate decision to
remain in Charlotte was due great
ly to the Oasis Group at the JCC.
That, together with my family and
friends at Congregation Ohr
HaTorah has given me a very
happy, meaningful and fulfilling
life.
The concept of the Op-Ed arti
cle and the needs of the elderly in
Charlotte was on target. However,
to call the Oasis Group a “barely
adequate” program is something I
very strongly disagree with. For
me and I am sure many others the
Oasis Group is a major blessing in
our lives. Linda Bass, Senior
Adult Program Director and Jodie
lagnocco, Adult Dept.. Assistant,
are doing a tremendous job in pro
gramming that includes field trips,
educational programs, computer
classes, senior exercise, drama,
writing, poetry, health and well
ness, exercise of the mind, first
aid, craft projects, art, clay, tai chi,
pickle ball, healing touch and
meditation.
Once a month there is a general
.meeting and at that time the group
can request any programs they
would like to have added. Input
from the seniors is definitely
encouraged. Linda and Jodie are
both caring, supportive and
always available to listen and to
respond to any senior who has a
problem and needs help. May they
go from strength to strength.
At this time in my life (age 73)
the Oasis Group more than fulfills
my every need. Do I have con
cerns about the future? Yes, I do. I
wish that I could have the peace of
mind of knowing that there is a
kosher facility that I can live in
when the time comes that I will
need it.
Since I have been in Charlotte I
have seen that this is a caring
Jewish community. I have no
doubt that further improvements
are on the agenda seeking ways to
enhance the lives of the elderly.
May all who work to help the
elderly be blessed.
Lynn Gelper
L’Dor v’Dor
We commend Ruth and Julius
Silverman for articulating the need
for a Jewish Retirement Home in
Charlotte. We have lived in
Charlotte for 33 years and remem
ber well what limited Jewish facil
ities were available in Charlotte,
where one could congregate and
meet.
.A group of our Jewish commu
nity leaders conceived a brilliant
solution, namely Shalom Park,
which today is the envy of larger
Jewish communities throughout
the U.S. Shalom Park was con
ceived to be a place where all
Jewish groups could meet and
socialize, but especially, it was to
be a place where our children
could meet and get to know each
other in a Jewish environment.
The original plan included space
for a Jewish Retirement Home.
This has not materialized. During
the years that we have lived here,
we have supported the endeavors
to enrich Jewish life in Charlotte.
Now that we are of the older gen
eration, and will in the near future
have the need to move into a
Retirement Home, there are no
Jewish options for us. A non-
Jewish solution will not work for
us. We are certain that the leader
ship that conceived and imple
mented Shalom Park, can under
stand our dilemma. Other commu
nities the size of Charlotte, have
Jewish Retirement Homes. If we
put our efforts into it, so can
Charlotte. L ’dor v ’dor.
Irving and Lillian Bienstock
CONTENTS
Letter to the Editor......... 2
Federation News... - pp. 3*9
Synagf^es and Congregations pp. 10-13
Community News PP-14-16
Women’s Page p. 17
Jewish Community Center ........................pp, 18^ 19
Schools......... .pp, 20,21
Mazel Tov .p. 21
Jewish Family Services.................... p. 22
Dining Out pp. 24, 25
Judaic Library and Resource Center .......pp. 26,27
Yoath Visions ....p. 17 Jewish Traveler !..... ,.p. 27
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