The Charlotte Jewish News -December 2010 - Page 28
Hadassah: From the President
By Hadas Kasher, president,
Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah
Even if you are not a Hadassah
member you have probably notice
how active our chapter is.
Every month we provide edu
cating, inspiring programs. Each
member is given the opportunity
to leam something new, to spend
time with friends or to meet new
friends and at the same time help
other Can it be better than that?
Just in the last couple of months
we had an amazing workshop lead
by Racelle Weinman. A group of
50 women spent Sunday morning
discussing Jewish Women
Leadership, later that month we
had membership event that allow
us to network with new and old
friends, while learning about the
latest Hadassah Projects. For
example a project done with JNF
to provide a shatter from bombs to
kids in the south of Israel. The
shelter is an indoor facility,
approximately the size of a foot
ball field. Full with games and
sport activities that allow the kids
play safely.
While you are celebrating
Chanukah, we remember how the
power of few can make a differ
ence, even if the mission ahead
looks impossible. Each and one of
us can help make this world a bet
ter place. While I am writing this
article a group of dedicated volun
teers are preparing for December
and January events just to name
few examples.
We are planning for a gift wrap
ping weekends at the Arboretum
location of Bames & Noble start
ing after Thanksgiving.
We are planning a Spa Night
(December 9). You will have the
chance to relax from your busy
schedule, enjoy spending time
with friends and raise some money
for Hadassah.
We are hosting “Love & Logic”
workshop lead by Wendy Petricoff
(January 9) to help parents and
grandparents to guide with love
and logic.
I encourage you to take the time
and visit www.Hadassah.org to
leam more about Hadassah. You
will be amazed to leam about the
contribution we are making in our
own communities and all over the
world. ^
Youth Visions
Hebrew High Second Session Electives Encourage Teens to Connect to
Torah
Beryl Abel Ian Rogers, Josh Farhi, and Abigail Smallman talk with electives are places to
guest speaker Natalie Tunney of Jewish Family Services in "On the ^
Margins. ”
As the second session of the
5771 school year approaches, the
focus of the electives at Hebrew
High tums to our sacred Texts.
The content of each class is
designed to help modem day kids
find relevance in etemal teaching
found in Torah, Talmud and
Midrash. Below is a preview of
these exciting and challenging
new classes.
* Torah In The Twilight Zone
- Submitted for your approval
...one five year long science fic
tion show with value laden mes
sages. Maybe it was just a twist,
maybe it was just frightening, but
maybe, just maybe the show’s
writers wanted you to leam a
moral or ethical lesson. We’ll
explore specific Twilight Zone
episodes that tried to teach the
same values that can be found in
the Torah or Talmud. Look.. .that
signpost up ahead...next
stop.. .Hebrew High!
* Torah and the Big Issues- A
look at issues that teens face in
their lives. Discussions will be
formed by seeking guidance from
the Torah and other texts. Topics
of discussion will include: Are
Jews the Chosen people? Are par
ents always right? What do the
sages say about substance abuse?
About eating disorders? Where is
God when I need help?
* Drama And the Tanach - The
sacrifice of Isaac as told from a
psychiatrist’s couch. The three
angels who visit Abraham and
Jerry Springer, Noah’s neighbors
and their reaction to all those ani
mals... these are just a few of the
improve skits we may perform as
we explore the text of Genesis and
add our own midrash via the art of
improve. This is a class full of
drama, readings, and laughing.
* Ancient Jewish Art- The
group will create Jewish art using
techniques that were popular in
Ancient Israel. During our time
together, we will find texts in the
Tanach that inspire us and use the
images to create a class tapestry.
We will also explore other media
such as mosaics and micrography.
Hebrew High is a great place
toget in touch with Jewish spiritu
ality and forge a personal relation
ship with the texts that have kept
our people together for thousands
of years. If you have any ques
tions, or would like to register
your 8 th through 12th grade stu
dent call Roz at 704-9446782 or
email rcooper@shalomcharlotte.
org.
From the staff and students of
Hebrew High: Have a very Happy
Chanukah! ^
Camp Judaea Recruits Military Children
Friendship Circle
Chanukah Bowl
The Friendship Circle is invit
ing all our families and volunteers
to join us for the conclusion of our
Bowling League with a grand
Chanukah Bowl. Many have par
ticipated in this unique league, and
it was a huge success. Special
Chanukah activities and gifts will
be available and refreshments will
be served. As this will be the con
clusion of our Bowling League
program, special award certifi
cates will be presented to our
Bowling League participants. We
would also like to take this oppor
tunity to thank our dedicated teen
volunteers for making this pro
gram a success and for teaching
our special friends new bowling
skills. This program is free of
charge, thanks to Bowling
League’s sponsors, Edwin and
Leslie Rusgo.
Join us on Monday, December
/!l\
Friendship
13 at 5:30 PM at Carolina Lanes in
Matthews, NC. For more infor
mation contact Bentzion at 704-
366-5983 or info@friendshipcir-
clenc.org.
The Friendship Circle is an
organization that cultivates friend
ships between teen volunteers and
children with special needs. The
Friendship Circle is a beneficiary
agency of the Jewish Federation of
Greater Charlotte. ^
Finding a Jewish identity for
anyone is hard, but for children
growing up in a very small Jewish
community it is even more diffi
cult. For children growing up in a
military town, it is more difficult
still. Some children want to form a
Jewish connection so deeply they
actively seek out ways to connect.
Aaron K., lives in a small town
south of Fayetteville, NC with a
Jewish population of 100 families,
about ten of whom have children.
One day Aaron told his mother
that he wanted to go to Jewish
sleep-away camp, and after
researching all of the different
Jewish camp options, Aaron chose
Camp Judaea as the place that he
wanted to call home. They con
tacted Camp Judaea and Assistant
Director Lori Goldstein came and
visited with Aaron and his family.
Before Goldstein’s arrival,
Aaron’s mother reminded him that
the cost of attending a camp is
very high and that she was not
sure that they were going to be
able to afford the program. His
answer to his mother was “don’t
worry; I will raise the money, not
just so that I can go to Camp
Judaea, but so that all of my
friends can go too.”
Aaron and his friends all live at
Fort Bragg and do not have as
many opportunities as children in
larger Jewish communities. One
parent of many of the families is
stationed in Afghanistan.
Aaron gave up all his extracur
ricular activities and put on
fundraisers. He sold food at event
snack bars, recraiting other kids to
ran a car wash so all would be
involved and even selling shirts
that say “hope,” because Aaron
really hopes he and all his friends
can go to camp. Aaron will soon
become a Bar Mitzvah, but he has
already leamed to be a real men-
sch. To know that a person like
Aaron, who is thirteen, decided to
not just try and find the money for
him to attend camp but for the
entire Jewish community, is trae
hope for the future of the Jewish
people.
Camp Judaea offers a magical
socialization environment in
which there is an opportunity that
no other educational institution
can offer - a captive audience that
is eager to be at there and leam
what there is to offer. “At Camp
Judaea we teach Judaism by living
Judaism,” said Sandra Bass, Camp
Director “we have campers that
come to camp from all of the dif
ferent sects of Judaism and we
want everyone to feel comfortable
in their Jewish skin.”
Each summer over 500 campers
from the South and Mid-Atlantic
states participate in two-, four-, or
eight-week sessions. Camp Judaea
is located on 118 acres of lush,
rolling terrain that offers clean air,
blue skies, and tall trees in a beau
tiful mountain setting, nestled in
the heart of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Camp Judaea places
special emphasis on Jewish her
itage and a connection to Israel.
Each age group has a theme-ori
ented program consisting of infor
mal educational activities pro
grammed by the staff. Camp
Judaea’s programs also include
horseback riding, sports, a chal
lenge course, arts and crafts, envi
ronmental education, drama,
swimming, canoeing, archery, and
much more. Camp Judaea is
equipped with two kosher kitchens
and provides an enriching Shabbat
experience.
If you are interested in assisting
Camp Judaea in their effort to give
military children “Hope for
Camp” please send checks to
Camp Judaea, 2700 NE Expy,
C500, Atlanta, GA 30345.
For further information, please
contact Lori Goldstein at
lori@campjudaea.org or 404-
634-7883. Visit us at
www.CampJudaea.org. ^
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