Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / Aug. 1, 2011, edition 1 / Page 22
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The Charlotte Jewish News -August 2011 - Page 24 Film Festival Wows Audiences, Sets Attendance Record Community Mews Taking the Next Steps in Community Philanthopy Ten days of the best in Jewish film from around the world flew by, but Charlotte attendees won’t soon forget these ineredible films that graeed the silver sereen. Time and again, audienees were wowed by marvelous movies and seintil- lating speakers who added so mueh to the viewing experienee. Almost 1,900 Charlotteans eame out to be entertained and edueat- ed, a new attendanee reeord for the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival. The Festival kieked off at the Levine Jewish Community Center with a full house on Mareh 3. They were moved by the doeu- mentary “An Artiele of Hope” about Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and the tiny torah that went from the depths of despair to the heights of seientifie aehievement aboard the Spaee Shuttle Columbia. Raeelle Weiman, a per sonal friend of Ramon and eon- tributor to the film, gave added insight into this inspirational story, and Tiffany Russell from NASA answered questions about the future of NASA and her inter esting eareer. Opening weekend was a smashing sueeess with the Israeli film “The Matehmaker” followed by the Hadassah Centennial Celebration at a paeked Ballantyne Village Theater. The following evening, baseball fans of all ages filled the sanetuary at Temple Israel to see “Jews and Baseball: An Ameriean Love Story” and hear Hall of Famer Ron Blomberg, first designated hitter and New York Yankee. The audienee enjoyed Ron’s stories of his days in the “Bronx Zoo” and what it meant to be a Jewish major leaguer. Idlin' Jew isli SAH The Charlotte Jewish Film Festival eontinued its tradition of interfaith outreaeh with the film “Cireus Kids.” The mixed-faith audienee was amazed by the story of the St. Louis Arehes, a youth eireus troupe that traveled to Israel to perform along with an Arab/Jewish eireus group. We were dazzled by the artistry of the Arehes and impressed by their efforts to eontribute to the peaee proeess through eireus. The Festival eame to a elose on Mareh 13 with another amazing film. “Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story” riveted the sold out erowd with the previously untold history of an unbelievable man and his numerous exploits. Writer/produeer/direetor Seott Goldstein eame from Los Angeles for a Q&A session after the film that everyone found ineredibly enlightening. Goldstein was so impressed with the turnout that he agreed to a seeond sereening whieh took plaee on May 22 and delighted another full house. Young and old, neweomers and familiar faees - The Charlotte Jewish Film Festival was thor oughly enjoyed by a wide array of film lovers. We hope you’ll tell a friend about the Festival and help us to set a new attendanee reeord next year. Keep updated on the Festival on our Faeebook page (Charlotte Jewish Film Festival) or sign up for e-mail updates at www.eharlottejewishfilm.eom. Anyone interested in beeoming involved with the Festival should eontaet Jeff Turk at omegae- mail@aol.eom. In the wake of this resounding sueeess, the CJFF is pleased to announee that Jeff Turk has agreed to aeeept the role of festi- (Continued on page 27) ARTS & SCIENCE COUNCIL Mazel Tov & Congratulations Congratulations to Russell Jampol as he graduated with Honors from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore major ing in Chemieal and Biomoleeular Engineering in May. Two weeks earlier Russell reeeived the Johns Hopkins University Chemieal and Biomoleeular Engineering Undergraduate Researeh Award. By JeffBierer The summer months have always been an exeellent time for me to exereise both my mind and body in preparation for that heetie dash toward the end of the ealen- dar year. During this time I find myself looking toward the future and refieeting on the past. In May, I began my term as Board Chair for the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community (FCJC). I am enthusi- astie, optimistie and a bit nervous about my new role. For the past three years FCJC has been led brilliantly by my friend, Alan Kronovet. Alan led us through a strategie planning proeess that elarifies FCJC’s role as a eollabo- rative leader in the effort to raise long-term eharitable resourees for the Charlotte Jewish eommunity. Among the next steps in our strategie plan is to determine how to most effeetively fulfill this role in eollaboration with our eommu nity partners, both donors and all our Jewish nonprofit ageneies. Sueeess ultimately requires that we develop lifelong relationships with our eommunity’s donors, and understand their personal and unique philanthropie interests. This donor-driven approaeh will help foster a eulture in whieh eaeh individual in our eommunity real izes his or her ability to make a differenee. We ean all be philan thropists. My wife, Lee, and I reeently made that eonneetion ourselves and have ereated a lega- ey gift to support our eommunity, while also establishing a donor advised fund at the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish eommunity. A key pieee of FCJC’s mission is to be the long-term eharitable giving resouree for the Jewish ageneies and organizations that serve the Greater Charlotte region. We understand the finaneial ehal- lenges faeing our ageney partners, sueh as funding operational expenses and meeting the growth needs of their members. Our foeus is to help them to ineorporate long-term philanthropie strategy to eompliment their existing annu al and eapital giving plans. We are Foundation tor the pharlottc Jewish Communitv here to help them help themselves. As we balanee our role with our eommunity partners, donors and ageneies alike, the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community will be well-positioned to mateh the philanthropie interests of our donors with both the long-term and short-term needs of our eom munity. This paradigm shift to embraeing long-term philanthropy will not take plaee overnight; it is, however, essential to meeting our eommunity’s future needs. ^ Jeff Bierer is the current Board Chair for the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community. To learn more about FCJC and how you can create your own Jewish Legacy please contact Jeff at jef- frey.h.bierer@bankofamerica.com or Phil Warshauer, Executive Director, Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community at pwarshauer@charlottejewish- foundation.org or 704-973-4544. Welcoming Synagogue Triggers Lifetime of Giving By Anita Strauss-LaRowe Having been raised in a Conservative Jewish home, I never intended to intermarry. And eonsidering that I did not date non-Jews, I thought I had that well under eontrol. When Bruee, who grew up in a religious non-Jewish home, joined the staff at the same arts eouneil where I worked, I eonsid- ered him an interesting and fun eolleague, but nothing more. We worked together, and attended arts events together (strietly business, of eourse) and well, fate had a different path for us. I like to say that we never aetu- ally dated, we just got mar ried. When Bruee’s eareer took us to Charlotte in 1983,1 had to shake off my New York prejudiees against the South. We had Anita Strauss-LaRowe and Bruce LaRowe agreed to keep a kosher home, and to raise our ehildren in the Jewish faith. But I worried whether there would be a temple where Bruee would feel weleome, and where (Continued on page 26) Hebrew Cemetery Association By Lorrie Klemons, publicity Annual Memorial Service, October 2 at 10:30 AM By the time you read this artiele the summer will be almost over. How did that happen? The older you get, the quieker life seems to fly by. We often hear the eliehe “take the time to smell the roses.” What does this really mean? It means to stop and take a moment to enjoy the beauty around you. The sights, the tastes, the sounds, the touehes, and yes, the smells. And don’t forget the people with in that sensual experienee, those in your life who add to the joy, and yes, sometimes even to the sor row. During the upeoming High Holiday season, it is our responsi bility to do “teshuvah” - to return to a life of signifieanee. As we prepare for and start refieeting on this very speeial time in our Jewish ealendar, I ehallenge you to heed the shofar as it ealls out to eaeh one of us to do something signifieant in order to make the world a better plaee. Take the time out of your heetie busy sehedule to appreeiate the pleasures. Take the time to read a book to your ehild, no matter how busy you might be. Take the time to visit a homebound friend or neighbor. Make a meal for an impoverished family. Be a big brother or sister or tutor to an underprivileged ehild. Send a get well eard to a neighbor who is ailing. Make a phone eall to a long lost friend. Write a eheek to a relief fund. Volunteer at a eommunity ageney that turns you on. Join the Hebrew Cemetery Assoeiation. It doesn’t really matter what you do long as you do something in your quest for a meaningful life. And that life for us Jews in Charlotte is so mueh better and more fulfilling beeause of the Jewish eommunity that we have eolleetively built. One ean’t help but be so proud when driving into Shalom Park and seeing what we have aeeomplished. I beseeeh you to support the work of this very signifieant and meaningful eom munity. The Hebrew Cemetery is a great plaee to start as it works to guarantee a holy and sanetified resting plaee for the ehildren and adults who were the movers and shakers of our eommunity. Come visit the eemetery. Bring your ehildren to introduee them to the Jewish traditions surrounding this journey of the soul. You will be pleasantly inspired by the holiness and yes, beauty and serenity, that you will eneounter. Call Cemetery Direetor Sandra Goldman at 704-576-1859 or 704- 944-6854 or email her at diree- tor@hebreweemetery.org to arrange for a private tour of the eemetery or for more information about donations, membership ben efits, graves, prepaid funeral eosts, endowments, and/or inelud ing the eemetery in your estate planning. In the meantime, visit the eemetery website at http:/www.hebreweemetery.org. If you have already deeided to leave money for the eemetery in your will, we would like to thank you in advanee for your generous legaey and invite you to eall Phil Warshauer, Exeeutive Direetor of the Charlotte Jewish Foundation at 704-973-4544 or email him at pwarshauer@eharlottejewish- foundation.org to find out how you ean maximize that donation. If you have not yet eonsidered sueh a gift, let Phil explain the proeess to you. ^
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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