The Charlotte Jewish NEWS N«)n-lV**ru Ori'ani/ution lU'I.K KATK i:.S. l»oslaKo I'AII) ('harlutto, N. ( IVrniit N.i. Vol. 3 No. 1 Charlotte, North Carolina January 1981 Major Gifts Dinner Marks Successful Start Approximately 50 people attending the 1981 Campaign Major Gifts Dinner heard co chairperson Alvin Levine an nounce a pledge total of $384,- 000 for an increase of $42,000 over the same gifts in 1980. Held for the 3rd year at Cafe Eugene, the event, brings together those donors to the Men’s Campaign whose gifts are $3000 or more. “Shelton Gorelick, my co- chairman, and I are extremely proud and pleased with the response to the new campaign,” said Mr. Levine. “We are a for tunate community with a bright future, but that does not mean we can forget those Jews who are less fortunate. Those many needs and causes for which we raise these dollars are even more pressing this year, and we can not look away. I hope and I pray that each member of our com munity will come to realize how much the Federation does for us in Charlotte as well as for world Jewry, and, that in response to that knowledge, they will give and give generously.” Mr. l^evine went on to describe exactly how the Federation benefits the Jews of Charlotte. i'Vimost $200,000 of the 1980 (’ampai^;n of $625,(M)0 remained •n Charlotiu aucl in .^’orth Carolu»a. Major allocations in cluded the Blumenthal Home, Hillel, the JCC, BBYO and the Hebrew Academy. “In effect,” Nh". Levine con tinued, “the Federation’s alloca tion of $50,0(M) to the JCC amounted to almost $100 per membership. The same kind of figuring is true for Jewish Charlotteans who participate in any of the other supported in stitutions or programs. Keynote speaker for the even- Cultural Sampler: Texas Fever Band On Sunday, January 18 at 3 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, the Cultural Sampler features Carlton Moody and the Texas Fever Band. His brothers, David, 17; Trent, 12; and his father Dwight will also be there. An entertaining afternoon of Country and Blue Grass Folk Music will take our cultural programming in a new direc tion. This promises to be an en joyable afternoon for all ages. Carlton Moody has been around music his entire life. Elarly in his childhood he began singing with his parents, Dwight and Cathy Moody, and began his TV. career at the age of 12, performing with his fami ly on WCTU, Channel 36 in Charlotte. Later he became a (Continued on Page 11) Rabbi Raymond A. Zwerin (photo/Ellie Luski) ing was Kabbi Raymond Zwerin of Denver. Rabbi Zwerin used the classic Jewish technique of the “midrash” or parable to con trast the relationship between the Rabbis, other Jewish professionals, community leaders and the general Jewish community. He discussed the duties and obligations of each and emphasized how important it was for everyone to focus on their portion of the necessary tasks as well as to work together. For liabhi Zwerin this was the third of four' speaking enj^a^ements during the day UiiJ c\\.:;int;. At noon he met with the first of a series of groups which will he convened over the coming months to discuss the future directions of the Charlotte Jewish community. He urged them to be willing to dream great dreams, but, even more im- portiint, he urged them to share those dreams with everyone. He illustrated the need for this by discussing the qualities of Moses as a leader. He reminded those present that Moses never shared the vision and the dream which Grod had shown him. In stead, Moses invoked Gd’s help and did what was necessary whenever a crisis arose. He parted the Red Sea, provided manna and water, etc. Rabbi Zwerin pointed out that even at Mount Sinai Moses in effect told the people to stay and wait while he went to get the laws which they would be expected to follow. “This kind of leadership,” said Rabbi Zwerin, “led to the wandering in the desert. However, when Joshua took over, his first act was to assign each tribe and individual specific responsibilities in the process of obtaining the land G- d had promised. With that sense of involvement they ac complished in just months what they had been unable to do for 40 years.” During the mid-afternoon Rabbi Zwerin met with teachers from the Hebrew School, Sun day School, pre-school of Tem ple Israel, the Temple Beth El Sunday School and the Hebrew Academy. He examined with them new approaches to curriculum and reviewed newly. l-tabbi Zwerin ended his day with a major address to more than 70 people at the Jewish Community Center. His talk en titled, “Clay Feet and the Kiss of (}-d” focused on the unique qualities of Jewish family life and how those qualities can enhance the individual family members as well as the total community. Lubavitch Family Arrives in Charlotte A new couple moved to Charlotte to achieve a goal that will bring them in touch with many Jews in North Carolina. ITiey are representatives of the world renowned Jewish leader. Rabbi Menachem M. Schneer- son Shlita, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and power force of the famous Lubavitch movement. They are here to raise the level of Jewish awareness, through education, teaching about various precepts through the mitzvah compaign, visiting communities around the state, forming Jewish youth groups, relating to young children through story and song, and teaching insights of CJhassidic philosophy. Rabbi Yoseph Groner» his wife Mariashi and daughter Rochel came from Brooklyn to start Lubavitch of N.C., hoping to reach out to every community in the state. Rabbi Groner, bom and rais ed in Brooklyn, attended Lubavitch Yeshiva there. After graduation, he studied at the Rabbinical CJollege of America, N.J., continued on in the lAibavitcher Yeshivot in Paris and Israel. Upon his return to New York, he received his or dination as Rabbi and con tinued his studies in Rabbinics and Cbassidic philosophy. Mariashi was bom in Detroit, Michigan. Her father, Rabbi Berel Shemtov, is regional direc tor of Lubavitch in Michigan. She graduated from Beth Rivkah Sdiools in New York, where she went on to the Teachers Seminary. She was president of Bnos (Jhabad (the girls branch of the Lubavitch Youth Org.) and directed the festival mitzvah campaign. They live at 65(X) Newhall Rd., 366-3984. Academy News . p. 6 Bar/Bat Mitzvahs . p. 9 Books in Review . p. 9 Bulletin Board . p. 8 Candlelighting . p. 11 Community Calendar. . p. 9 Dry Bones . p. 9 In The News JCC SPRING CLASS SCHEDULE, Supplement Editorials ... p. 2 For the Record ...p. 4 MARATHON ... p. 10 Random thoughts... ...p. 3 This *n that ...p. 6 World Beat ...p. 4 Community Project Boxscore The I^oject Box Score is published to bring you up to date on the latest progress toward the Community Project. In November the C!5iarlotte Jewish Foundation was official ly consti^^uted. It consists of two representatives each from Tem ple Israel, Temple Beth El, llie Hebrew Academy, the JCC and the Federation. In addition, ten members were elected from the community at large. In one of its first acts, the Foundation appointed a com mittee to screen and recommend an architect for the Project. High priorities are how to in volve the entire community in determining what the needs and concerns are in all areas of Jewish life and the planning process for addressing those needs. A second committee has been assigned and is at work on this. The Council of Presidents of the institutions involved is con tinuing to meet and to set the guidelines around positive co existence in the Project, In the next few months each interested member of the Jewish community can look forward to both major progress and a per sonal opportunity for participa tion in the Project. The Roof Fell In! t photo/Ellie Luski In 1978 the JCC conducted a successful Building Fund cam paign . The brochure for the cam paign read, “The JCC Has Some Good News and Some Bad News. First the Bad News — The Roof Is Falling In.” On Sunday morning, Dec-ember 1,1980 at 11:03 — the roof over the front porch did fall in! Thanks to those generous contributors to the Building Fund, the (Center was back in full operation within days. In the past three years the JCC has grown by leaps and bounds to a membership of 526 families or over 2,(XX) in dividuals. The classes, facilities and programs serve a thousand or more each week during the school year and thousands per week during the summer. Thanks to the Building Fund, the Center has been able to maintain and enhance the facilities in order to keep up with membership demands. Building Fund dollars have resurfaced the tennis courts, purchased pool furniture (more lounges are coming for summer, 1981), redecorated the building, built new program space and offices, renovated lights and air con ditioning, and turned the little house into a usable craft center and meeting area. In addition, through sound financial management the JCC is ac cumulating much needed funds in anticipation of the JCC facilities in the Community Pro ject. In times of stress and times of simcha the membership of the JCC has had reason to remember with thanks the generosity of those who have and still continue to contribute to the Building Fund.

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