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The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2011 - Page 17 Youth Visions Hebrew High Students Examine Meaning of Freedom At Hebrew High we eneourage our teens to explore their Judaism and express themselves through many media. Just before Passover we had an inspiring T’fillah (ser- viee) led by members of LIBERTY, Temple Beth ETs youth group. The rousing prayer serviee was artfully led by Ben Sehine and Raehel Rappaport. With the theme of freedom as a guide, per sonal statements were read by sev eral students. Below are exeerpts from those statements: Rachel Rappaport Abbe Cohen Freedom by Abbe Cohen How would you deseribe free dom for Jewish people in the past? If it was not for our aneestors we would not have the amount of freedom we have today. Without them we would not know what our real plaee in the world would be. They fought in numerous ways, all of whieh took persever- anee and eourage. When I was in ele mentary sehool a girl who was in my elass eame up to me and said, “Oh, you’re Jewish ... when you die you’re not going to heaven you’re going to hell.” During the holoeaust if a eomment like that was said you would not be able to stand up for yourself, and if you did it would result in death. To this day Jews are still fighting for reli gious freedom and all other types of freedom. In the United States we are lueky enough to have many rights that ean’t be taken away beeause of our religion or raee or what we believe in. As one of our most popular Ameriean song states, “Let Freedom Ring.” Freedom by Caleb Seidler It’s about a week until Passover and spring fever is sweeping the nation. It is amazing that we eould get this many Jewish teens togeth er to ereate sueh an awesome sanetuary. Three thousand years ago we would be in Egypt build ing some pyramids. Think about how lueky we are to be listening to this amazing musie. Think about the freedom and liberty we have when just 70 years ago we were being killed just for being Jewish. This eountry has provided us with homes and jobs some eountries wouldn’t. As we eontinue, think about the kids and teens our age who are still oppressed in eentral Afriea, think about the rights we have that others don’t. Freedom by Lexie Player What does freedom mean? Freedom does not just have one definition. To some, freedom eould mean staying out late or missing sehool. In our eountry there are three guaranteed rights - life, liberty and the pursuit of hap piness. We are also guaranteed the right to freedom of speeeh, press and espeeially religion. Religion is Lexie Player a huge debate throughout the world and not all of the other eountries in the world offer the freedom of religion that is offered here in Ameriea. What does this freedom mean to our religion? It means that we have the freedom and the right to praetiee our reli gion free of perseeution. Freedom by Debbie Rabinovich Freedom has been fought over more than anything in the world. Sometimes we take it for granted, but in all seriousness, we should n’t. As Jews, we have always been outsiders looking in; looking in as we were exiled from Spain, from England, and even from our own homeland. We made our way to the Promised Land, our first taste of Zion, and of freedom. This eountry has made us, the Jewish people, insiders. I leave you with this: when you hear others make Jewish jokes or slurs, remind yourself that we are insiders just as mueh as anyone else. This eountry has given us freedom, and that is what freedom means. It means the right to stand up for what we believe in; the right to Zionism and the right to be Jews. The 5771 Hebrew High, sehool year is about to eome to a elose. Don’t let your teens miss out on the opportunity to express their Judaism in an open, nurturing environment. At Hebrew High we study, learn and ereate together in a eommunity of earing Jewish teens and adults. For more infor mation about our program, or to register your 8th-12th grade stu dent for the 5772 sehool year, eall Roz at 704-944-6782, or email reooper@ shalomeharlotte .org. Hebrew High is a joint venture of Temple Israel and Temple Beth El and, is supported by The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.^ The Jewish Traveler By Maxine Silverstein San Diego San Diego is one of my very favorite eities in the United States. Not only is the weather almost perfeet the entire year, my twin sister Harriet lives in this beautiful eity. There is so mueh to do and see here. Wonderful restaurants, beau tiful beaehes, great museums, ineredible zoo. Sea World, terrifie shopping and a laid-baek lifestyle. Wow, what a plaee! There are six Jewish areas in San Diego County where you ean find elusters of synagogues and Jewish ageneies. Three of them are loeated to the south and three to the north. The three southern eommunities - ineluding Chula Vista, eentral San Diego, and east San Diego - are older areas of Jewish settlement with lots of his tory. The three northern eommuni ties - La Jolla, North County Coastal and North Country Inland - are the newer, generally more expensive areas with lots of peo ple living there. San Diego County’s Jewish eommunity has approximately 89,000 Jews. In size, the eommunity is quite simi lar to that of Phoenix. The eom munity is faeing many issues: what to do about a soaring inter marriage rate, how to balanee sup port for Israel and Jews overseas with support for loeal institutions, and where to loeate other institu tions for future growth. The Jewish eommunity of San Diego dates baek to the 1850s when Jewish merehants arrived in the eity. At that time Jews eonstituted about 10% of the eity’s popula tion. A major street in San Diego was ealled Avenida des Judios (Avenue of the Jews). We were able to visit Temple Beth Israel in Heritage Park loeat ed in the area known as “Old Town.” In addition to offering an awe-inspiring view of the bay, the park is home to seven well pre served Vietorian buildings, one of whieh is the original Temple Beth Israel. Construeted in 1889, it is the seeond oldest synagogue in California. Its eharming exterior is admired by many as a prime example of 19th eentury gothie revival arehiteeture. The interior is stunning in its simplieity and remains unehanged from the day the first serviees were held to eel- ebrate the Jewish New Year on September 25, 1889. More speetaeular oeean views ean be found just north of the eity in La Jolla. Spanish for “the Jewel,” this town is filled with wonderful eafes and interesting boutiques. It is also home to the Potiker Cultural Arts Complex. In addition to hosting eultural aetivi- ties, the eomplex eontains an art gallery that features rotating Jewish-themed exhibits. The restaurants in San Diego are fabulous and run the gamut from great Paeifie seafood and authentie Mexiean to ineredible Oriental euisine. Many restaurants have beautiful oeean views. This past visit we got to eat at D.Z. Akins - one of my very favorite delis. This plaee is huge with a menu that is both exeellent and over whelming. I ean personally voueh for the matzah ball soup and ehopped liver. This deli even has its own gift shop. Other favorite plaees are Georges at the Cove - fabulous for outside oeeanfront dining in La Jolla, and Tapenade - an ineredi ble Proveneal-style Freneh restau rant also in La Jolla. Any referenee to a San Diego vaeation must inelude one of the best eity zoos ever. The San Diego Zoo is a must-see for animal lovers. It’s very easy to walk through the entire zoo and the ani mals are speetaeular. We loved the panda area and stayed watehing these amazing ereatures for as long as we eould. When my ehil- dren were small, they had the Maxine at Temple Beth Israel in Old Town. opportunity to go to Zoo Camp at this fabulous plaee. Other great plaees to visit are Sea World, North Beaeh and Del Mar for the horse raees. If you’ve gotten the impression that San Diego has many faeets, then I haven’t led you astray. If you get a ehanee, go visit and see whieh is your personal favorite.^ A panda at the San Diego Zoo. n L I n 1 1 1 j r 11 r n ri 11 11 r I I [ I 1 Yours TVuly Needlepoint and Knitting Handpainted Needlepoint Canvases All New Canvases — Free lessons — Unique Gift Ideas — New and Old Custonners Very Welcome Best Selection in Charlotte All Proceeds Go to Local Charities 3802 Columbine Circle 704-366-6765 Open Thursdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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