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The Charlotte Jewish News - August 2011- Page 25 Israel, Part XII: Shabbat in Jerusalem F By Amy Krakovitz The meals we have been served in Israel sinee day one have never been a disappointment, and the food for Shabbat dinner at Kibbutz Gezer is no exeeption. Trays piled high with fresh vegetables, grilled meats, steamy, soft breads, and desserts that tempt the tastebuds. The food was all prepared at the Kibbutz, Miri tells us, exeept for the desserts whieh were donated by HaUgot Shel Ayah, a loeal bak ery that supports Kibbutz Gezer. There is also wine and wonderful eamaraderie. I stop Rabbi Steve Chester to talk about my eonneetions in Oakland. Does he know my eousin? Why, yes, he does! My eousin and his family are members of Rabbi Chester’s eongregation. Here I am in Kibbutz Gezer, on the opposite side of the world from my home, but I have made a eonneetion. It’s a small (Jewish) world. It is a beautiful evening, Miri and her husband, David Leaehman, are exeellent hosts as is everyone at the Kibbutz. But the hour grows late, Benny has returned from Shabbat dinner at his home, and it’s time for us to go baek to our hotel. Two More B ’nei Mitzvah The morning is beautiful. Clear, dry, sunny, not yet too warm; we walk a bloek or so from our hotel to Hebrew Union College where we will have two more b’nei mitz vah. I am surprised to see several ears on the streets, I expeeted that Jerusalem’s streets would be eom- pletely free of vehieles on Shabbat, but there are taxis and some private ears driving around town. The eeremony and Shabbat morning serviee take plaee in the outdoor garden behind Hebrew Union College. The area is shaded with beautiful trees and we faee the Temple Mount and the old eity whieh we ean see from where we sit. On all sides of us, flowers bloom and the air is filled with gentle fragranees and a light breeze. It’s a lovely day. One small gliteh in the upeom- ing eeremony: the Torah available at Hebrew Union College for our b’nei mitzvah to use is a Sephardie Torah; it does not lay flat as it is unserolled, it stands up in an ornate ease. It poses a problem only when the students get to the bottom of the page; it’s harder to read and they eould lose their plaee when they move from line to line. But Josh Rappaport and Jake Gilbert are foeused and well trained. Rather than stumbling when they get to the diffieult area at the bottom of eaeh eolumn, they slow down to ensure that they don’t make mistakes. Their Torah readings are impeeeable. They are poised and ealm and sound mag- nifieent. The Haftarah is shared with the b’not mitzvah from Thursday, so we have five Haftarah readers. Again it is perfeet and it’s a joy to see their five shining faees and hear their sweet voiees join in together. Our “eups runneth over” with pride at our eongregation’s youth. Afterward there is table full of sweets to share, and the b’nei mitzvah (all five of them) get lift ed high in their ehairs. The garden at Hebrew Union College-Jerusalem the site of the two b ’nei mitzvah ceremonies. Of eourse the day slowly gets warmer. It is a typieal Jerusalem summer day when we deeide that this afternoon we will do a walk ing tour of the Old City to see some of things we missed last time we were here a few days ago. We first go to the Synagogue of the Rambam, the oldest aetive synagogue in Jerusalem. It has a long and varied history. First built in 1267 by Nahmanides himself, it was elosed and reopened many times by the Ottoman governor of the area. In 1948, it was destroyed by the Jordanians, but aeeess to it was regained in 1967, when it was rebuilt and has been used ever sinee. JCC’s Distinctive Members Celebrate at the Mint The Mint Museum was the venue this year for the Levine Jewish Community Center’s Distinetive Member Event whieh was held May 24. The evening was a tremendous sueeess with attendees ineluding eurrent Distinetive Cirele members, many guests who are eonsidering beeoming a part of this philan- thropie program, and several Levine JCC Board of Direetors. One of the highlights of the evening was provided by three Levine JCC members who are Doeents of the Museum. Meredith Baumstein, Lisa Friek, and Naney Kipnis graeiously volunteered their time to prepare and provide private tours of the museum. The tours proved to be interesting, informative and fun as well. The evening also ineluded wines and hors d’oeuvres served in The Boardroom, whieh overlooks the stunning Dale Chiloully pieee. Larry Sehwartz, President of the Levine JCC, spoke briefly thanking the evening’s ehairper- sons: Alison and Mark Lemer and Jill and Ed Newman. Alison took the opportunity to speak of grow ing up in Charlotte where her fam ily’s life revolved around the “J” - even to the extent that the “J” is where she met her husband Mark. Additionally, Alison emphasized how erueial the Levine JCC is to the vibraney and viability of the entire Jewish Community. Phil Berman, Chief Exeeutive Offieer, also shared his thoughts, dis- eussing the importanee of the Distinetive Member Cirele. He reminded us that we are ehal- lenged to support and to provide for those who eannot do so for themselves and that the Distinetive Member program is an avenue allowing for just that. As one of the many attendees stated, “This was a delightful evening enjoyed by all.” It seemed that those in attendanee truly understand and are eommitted to the Levine JCC’s mission of Enriehing Lives and Building Relationships through Quality Jewish Experienees. If you would like more infor mation regarding the Levine JCC’s Distinetive Member Cirele, please eontaet Karen Maniloff at 704-944-6801 or karen.maniloff@ eharlottejee.org. ^ Distinctive Member atten dees enjoyed good food, conversation, and company. Above: Twice the mitzvah - Meredith Baumstein, Lisa Frick and Nancy Kipnis shared their love of art and the Levine JCC by doing Mint Museum Uptown tours for guests. Larry Schwartz, Levine JCC Board President, and Philip Berman, Levine JCC CEO, highlighted the philanthropy of the Distinctive Member Circle. Wildacres B’nai Brith Retreat, Little Switzerland, NC, August 15-18 Three kosher meals daily, two- bedded room-private bath in lodge with stunning views of Blue Ridge Mts, three speakers daily. Linda Gradstein, NPR Israel eorrespondent 1990-2010, eur- rently AOL News Jerusalem eor respondent. * Turmoil in the Middle East - Effeet on Israel * What’s a Niee Jewish Girl Doing in a Dangerous Plaee Like This? * Roles of Israeli and Palestinian Women in Making Peaee * Media Bias - Real or Imagined? Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, Founder Kol Eehad: Making Judaism Matter, trans-denomina- tional adult learning eenter, Atlanta * Reeonformadox: Does It Still Matter? * Where Are The Men? * The Seeret War Against Israel * Outside the Red Tent Stephen J. Whitfield Brandeis professor of Ameriean Civilization, Southern Jewish Historieal Soeiety Distinguished Seholarship Award 2010. * Pentagon Papers, Through the Age of Wikileaks Boundaries of Dissent and 1st Amendment * Tension or Entwinement: 20th Century Cultural Relations Between Jews and Blaeks * Fiddler on the Roof: Cultural Effeet of a Musieal Live Musie by Bandana Klezmer Band All inelusive priee: $340 per person, two in a room. $475. per person, single. Needs-based seholarships available to seniors living in NC or SC. Contaet Bill Carr at 919-781- 4207 or BCarr@ipass.net. Registration form available at www.wildaeres.org. ^ We stop at the aleove that tradition says is David’s tomb. There is no proof that the sar- eophagus in this stone room is aetually King David’s. In faet, the bible says that David was buried in the City of David, a little bit south of here. But beeause it is a traditional notion that David is here, and beeause the burial eloth over the sareophagus is sueh a bril liant eobalt blue, I try to take was a pieture of it. “No, no, no pietures!” I hear a shrill voiee behind me. Several elderly ladies are seated outside the door to the tomb. I assumed they were here praying, but apparently they eome here to keep tourists from breaking Shabbat rules by taking pietures on Saturdays. I am disappointed but I wouldn’t offend them so I walk away with no evidenee of my having been there. We move on down the street to the ornate, eeremonious Chureh of the Holy Sepulehre. ^ Next: The church, the shuk, an interactive map. JCC Tributes LJCC BUTTERFLY PROJ ECT In honor of Gwen Orland’s birthday from The Abeles Family, Jill Baliek, Marissa and Adam Brooks, Roni and Glenn Fishkin, Darey and Steve Garfinkel, Susan and Erie Kent, Catherine Kendriek, Kim and Adam Levy, Sherri and Barry Leonard, Susan and Steve Meyer, Melissa Raphael, Anne and Mike Sinsheimer, Robin and Miehael Stier, Jodi Valenstein In honor of Judy August from: Jaekie, Staeey and David August In honor of Susie Meier from Merle and Alan Gottheim In honor of Marvin Callif’s birthday from Shellie and Harvey Barer In honor of Roberta and Ed Bograd from Sera and Marvin Callif In memory of Alene Strause from Roni and Glenn Fishkin MINDY ELLEN LEVINE DAY CAMP ENDOWMENT FUND In honor of Sandra and Leon Levine’s anniversary and in honor of Leon Levine’s birthday from Lynn and Paul Edelstein OASIS MEMORIAL FUND FOR SENIOR PROGRAM MING In honor of Golda Sehwartz and the Oasis staff from Marissa and Adam Brooks and family In memory of Alene Strause from Evelyn Berger LJCC GENERAL PROGRAM FUND In memory of Bernard Stein, father of Lynn Cojae from Claudia and Robert Seherzer JCC
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