The Charlotte Jewish News - April 2012 - Page 18
Ballantyne Jewish Center Purim Report
Pre-Purim Fun Day
Over 30 children enjoyed a pre-
Purim fun day at the Ballantyne
Jewish Center. Activities included
baking hamantaschen filled with
chocolate chips, jelly or even
brownie mix. Baking was fol
lowed by fun games and mask
decorating.
The fun at the
Ballantyne Jewish
Center started
even before Purim
day.
An African Purim Party -
Building Our Community
Through Music and Rhythms
The Ballantyne Jewish Center’s
annual Purim celebration was
enjoyed by over 140 men, women,
and children. Held on March 8 at
the South Charlotte Banquet
Center, the African-themed party
offered a unique way for Jews of
diverse affiliations and back
grounds to unite and celebrate
Purim together. Rabbi Yisrael and
Leah Levin, dressed in authentic
African garb, welcomed the
crowd.
The evening began with the tra
ditional reading of the Megillah
scroll of Esther, which depicts the
story of Purim. Simultaneously
participants viewed a multi-media
slide show illustrating the histori
cal events of Purim as well as a
bingo game and activity bags to
keep the kids entertained. To
drown out the name of the wicked
adversary Haman, adults and chil
dren alike shook graggers (noise-
makers) and drummed on African
drums.
All enjoyed elaborate kosher
African cuisine, including dishes
such as kuku paka (curry chick
en), African Beef Stew, and
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own shalach manot basket. The
highlight of the evening? A com
munity Drum Circle led by Mr.
Nigel. Everyone enjoyed drum
ming, shaking and making awe
some music together as a commu
nity.
Mr. Nigel and some of his drumming
friends
Zanzibar pilu (sweet rice). A spe
cial Purim Martini was served for
the adults. The banquet hall was
creatively decorated to provide an
African style atmosphere.
Children enjoyed booths
including tribal face painting,
drum decorating and making their
A Ballaittvfie
JEWISH
CENTER
Chabad Hebrew School Purim
Video
Scan this QR code to watch! ^
Joe, Jessiea, Alana, and Andrew Pries
enjoying Purim with an Afriean twist.
Temple Kol Ami Celebrates 100 Years of
Marriage
Recently members, friends, and
guests joined together at Temple
Kol Ami to celebrate a combined
100 years of marriage. Founding
family members Gail and Ken
Danberg and Barbara and Bob
Landis each celebrated 50 years of
wedded bliss. Student Rabbi
Ronda Young led our congrega
tion as our sanctuary was over
flowing with people enjoying the
wonderful service to celebrate and
commemorate these momentous
occasions. The service was fol
lowed by a bountiful oneg that
included a specially made cake
honoring the occasion. We know
that this is just one of many cel
ebrations that our congregation
will continue to come together
for.
We hold Friday night services
the first and third Friday of the
month at 7 PM. Our services are
held at Unity Presbyterian
Church in Fort Mill, SC (303
Tom Hall Street, Fort Mill, SC
29715). To learn more about
Temple Kol Ami and our pro
grams please visit us online at
www.kolamitemple.com or
email us at yorksyna-
gogue@ gmail.com. ^
Babies and Bagels at Temple Kol Ami
Temple Kol Ami has recently
added a new program to our
already great list of programming.
In February, we had our first
Babies and Bagels. Every genera
tion deserves a home at Temple
Kol Ami and our youngest genera
tion is no exception. We started
the morning off with stories and
songs celebrating Tu B’Shevat
and then headed off to Ivybrook
Academy’s Discovery room for
creative expression and treats. If
the laughter and smiles were any
sign then we would have to say a
great time was had by all! For
more information on Babies and
Bagels, please contact Bonnie
Shaw or Stacey Constant at
yorksynagogue@gmail.com. ^
Extra, Extra! Temple Kol Ami Holding
Inaugural 2nd Night Seder
Come one come all. On
Saturday night, April 7 at 6 PM
Temple Kol Ami will be holding a
second night Passover Seder. As
we continue to grow our congre
gation and reach out to the com
munity we invite you to join us.
The Seder will be held in the
Fellowship Hall at Unity
Presbyterian (303 Tom Hall
Street, Fort Mill, SC) where we
currently hold our services. The
menu will include brisket, turkey,
and gefilte fish. As a way to keep
the cost down you will supply a
side dish. The cost is $11 for
adults, $5 for ages 5-12, and under
5 is free. For more information
and to RSVP, please contact Gail
at gdanberg@comporium.net or
Marge at hifi03@comporium.net
by March 24. Information is also
available on our website:
www.kolamitemple.com. ^
New JLI Course: The Art of Marriage
(Continued from previous page)
the American Psychological
Association, the personality type
of one partner alone can be a reli
able predictor of marital harmony
or distress. This lesson focuses on
the character traits that influence
marriage for better or worse. It
provides practical key skills to
being successful in marriage, such
as how to be more appreciative of
others and how to manage anger.
Lesson Five: Sacred Space:
No Trespassing!
Defining Marriage’s Bonnd-
aries
In Judaism, a marriage is con
sidered consummated before any
conjugal act, when the bride and
groom are secluded together for a
few minutes following the mar
riage ceremony. The intimate
space provided by this seclusion
defines the marriage and should
remain sacred and exclusive only
to each other throughout the mar
riage. How does one defend a mar
riage from the threats of boredom,
lust, pornography, and extramari
tal affairs? This lesson introduces
a mystical approach and practical
ways to form and fortify an exclu
sive and powerful relationship.
Lesson Six: Make Up or Break
Up
Negotiating the Challenge of
Onr Generation
Surprisingly, the option of
divorce can help stabilize a shaky
marriage. This lesson explores
Jewish insights on divorce, which
provides powerful instruction on
how to stay married when the
going gets tough. A discussion of
what constitutes grounds for
divorce, according to the Jewish
legal code, will demonstrate how
far one might need to go to make a
marriage work. What degree of
tolerance can be realistically
expected of any individual? ^