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The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2018 - Page 19 Temple Solel Reflects on the High Holy Days Temple Solel, located in Fort Mill, SC is a member of the URJ. Our home is in the Community Room of St. Philip Neri Church; however, Rosh Hashanah be gan with a Children’s Service the morning of September 9 at kid-friendly Blooming Einsteins. The children and parents helped us start the Jewish New Year off by participating in a short lesson taught by Ashley Fox followed by Julia Fox blowing the shofar. With help, the children created paper-plate shofars they could blow themselves and a colorful apple stamp project. It was such a fun, noisy, yet meaningful ex perience filled with friends and guests. Statesboro, GA, just a few hours away from Plains. 1 said to my husband, Roy, ‘Jimmy Carter is getting on in years. He is already in his 80s and before he dies Fd like to attend one of his Bible Study classes. ’ “It took one month for the FBI to check our applications. We re ceived om tickets and packed for the weekend. The secret service men stood outside the chmch, with earpieces and a wire down the back of their jackets just like in the movies. “About 50 of us entered the church and were greeted by daughter Amy’s former fourth grade teacher whose job it now was to orgaiuze the visitors, seat Yom Kippur Services at Carolina Orchards This year we held special Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur Day Services and break-the-fast at the mag- luficent ballroom of the Grove at Carolina Orchards. Below is an excerpt from the special Yom Kippur talk given % Temple Solel member, Wendy Weinberg er, who shared a special experi ence and words of wisdom with us. We think you will enjoy it too. “When Jimmy Carter left the Presidency in 1981, one of the many things he decided he would get back to was teaching a Bible Study class once a month at the Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, GA,” Wen dy began. “Twenty five years later, in the fall of 2006, we were living in Wendy Weinberger from the Northeast like we were, but some came from as far away as Hawaii. One family was visit ing from Australia. “Then the President got down to business and began his Bible Study class. He said: ‘Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived in Bethle hem, but for some reason when Jesus was twelve, and the age of twelve is stressed in the Bible, the family took a trip to Nazareth. But the Bible doesn’t tell us why. Why do you think this was?’ the President asked. “Hands went up in the audi ence and President Carter gave everyone a chance to answer his question. ‘Because Joseph couldn’t get work in Bethlehem,’ with the visitor. Several possibil ities were suggested. He encour aged everyone by saying there was no right or wrong answer. He ended each short discussion by saying: ‘So you can see that might certainly have been a pos sibility.’ “Then 1, yours traly, sitting an arms-length away from President Carter, put up my hand and when asked the question 1 said: ‘Per haps Mary and Joseph were tak ing Jesus to Nazareth to prepare him for his Bar Mitzvah. ’ “The crowd was silent. No one in this class had ever heard the term Bar Mitzvah before. Smil ing while looking directly at me President Carter said, ‘That could very well be.’ Then turning to the class he continued: ‘Let me ex plain. In the Hebrew faith at the age of 13 a young Jewish boy has his Bar Mitzvah. It is a rite of passage into manhood. He has to study an assigned portion of the Five Books of Moses in order to present it to the congregation at a weekly service. Preparation for this rite of passage can take as long as a year. The Bar Mitzvah boy must be able to answer any questions his elders and the rabbi have for him about his portion.’ “Though President Carter knew what a Bar Mitzvah was, nobody else in the room had us, and tell us what the proce dures would be. She definitely had her list of rales and you could hear the sternness in her voice which scared me even as an adult. It was hard for me to believe 1 was within hand shaking distance of this humble man who had been our 39th President. “Roy and 1 chose to sit in the second row. 1 do not know if we were the first Jews to attend Jim my’s Bible Study class, but I’m pretty sure we were the only Jews there that Sunday. “After welcoming the group and thanking us for coming, one of the first things Jimmy Carter asked each of us was where we were from. The crowd was from all parts of the U.S. No one was Children with their shofarim was one answer. ‘They might have been visiting family,’ was another response. He rushed no one and took each comment very seriously. Often he had a dialogue ever heard those Hebrew words. Nearly everyone in that room had learned something new that day. The way President Carter smiled at me and nodded his approval. TEMPLE SOLEL he made me feel he was surprised to hear this answer ‘to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah’ from someone in this non-scholarly Bible Study setting. “By my simply introducing the Hebrew words Bar Mitzvah to some 50 gentiles 1 had exposed them to something new. Hebrew words, Judaism, the rite of pas sage, and Bar Mitzvah would get them to coimect the fact that there were Jews at the time of Jesus. In fact some might even have real ized only then that Jesus himself was a Jew. At the Bible Study class we had done a little in help ing to bring strangers together, by passing along a new idea and a little understanding that we have more in common than we realize. “Today on this Holiest of days, Yom Kippur, we need to remem ber the importance of keeping our minds open to new thoughts and ideas. Even though we might all come from different backgrounds and religions most of us want similar things - a good life for our children and health and hap piness for our loved ones, even for strangers. Judaism instructs us to pursue Tikkun 01am, to re pair the world, and here at Temple Solel many of us act towards that worthy goal. In the coming year let us continue, and hopefully ex pand those efforts, so that we can honestly say we have contributed to peace and harmony in our com- mmuties.” Do take a look at our web site www.TempleSolelSC.org or call us at 803-619-9707. We hope you’ll consider visiting us for our regular services, which meet on the second and fourth Fridays of each month at 7 PM at St. Phil ip Neri Chmch in Fort Mill. Our next service will be on November 9. We’d love to see you there. ^ CGI Ballantyne Winter Camp After om fifth incredible and successful summer with more than 100 campers, CGI Bal lantyne is back and offering an amazing Winter Camp experience for your children. With activities, games, exciting Jewish themes, daily trips, crafts, and much more, your children will have a blast ev ery single day. Om handpicked staff are experienced, energetic and fun-loving camp counselors, who love working with children. A special thank you to the Jewish Federation of Greater Chmlotte for their support. Monday through Friday, De cember 24-28 9 AM-3:30 PM; Extended care available upon request. For children ages 3-11. Children will be split by age: Preschool, K - 3rd, 4th - 6th Pricing per child: Register for one day or for the entire week. $55 a day or $225 for the week (Includes a hot kosher lunch and snacks.) To register, or for more in formation contact Leah Levin, Leah@JewishBallantyne.com or 704-246-8881 or visit our web site, www.CGlBallantyne.com.s5s Light an Ice Menorah at StoneCrest Join us for an unbelievable ex perience and help us light a giant Ice Menorah at StoneCrest. Bring your family and friends for an amazing Chanukah lught includ ing games, activities, crafts, hot drinks, doughnuts, and latkes. Monday, December 3 at 5:30 The Fountains Plaza at Stone Crest Shopping Center Children’s activities will begin at 5 PM This event is free. Visit www.JewishBallantyne. com for more details. sJs PM. SAVE THE DATE Kids Mega Challah Bake Monday, January 21 III Waxhaw Menorah Lighting Join us for our fourth armual Menorah Lighting in Waxhaw. Tuesday, December 4 at 5:30 PM. Downtown Waxhaw, E. North Main St. at the Overhead Bridge. 5:30 PM Menorah Lighting This event is open to the com munity free of charge. For more iirfo, visit www.Jew- ishBallantyne.com*5* A Ballantyne Hlillill JEWISH IIIIIIIM CENTER Your Neighborhood Connection Correct logo? I have another Ballentyne logo.
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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