Pag* 7-THE NEWS-May, 1983
A Look At Women’s Division — Federation
Annual
Luncheon
“We must remember to
watch for dangers which are
so subtle..., to preserve the
future of our children and
grandchildren”, was the
underlying theme of the very
moving talk delivered by
Gerda Weissmann Klein at
the Annual Luncheon of the
Women’s Division of
Charlotte Jewish Federa
tion, at the home of Annette
Gross on March 23. Ruth
Goldberg, copresident,
welcomed the women to the
luncheon and introduced the
speaker.
Describing her personal
experiences during the war
years from 1939-1945, “Six
years from slavery to
freedom,” Mrs. Klein spoke
of her family and family life,
and the general lack of con
cern with current events (“a
malignancy cannot be ig
nored...ignoring it will not
make it go away”).
During the three years of
her internment in various
camps, alternating between
hope and despair, one bin
ding life-thread was the ski-
boots her father insisted she
wear when she was first im
prisoned. In the sturdy
boots which lasted her
through her years of camps,
and on occasion preserved
her life, she hid family
photos and letters. The ac
tual photos are reproduced
as a frontispiece to her first
book. All But My Life.
In the winter of 1945, with
the Nazi empire crumbling
before the Allied advance,
she was one of the 120 sur
vivors of the 4-month mid-
winter forced march
eastward to Czechoslavakia
which began with 4,000
women. Made to halt
because of Russian troops
moving in from the West, the
survivors were put in a
wooden barrack, under
which a bomb was placed by
the fleeing guards. The bomb
was extinguished by a sud
den miraculous rainstorm.
The next day a jeep ap
proached the barracks. An
American soldier (“he look
ed like a young god”) came
up asking “Where are the
other ladies?”
“We are Jews”, said the
68-lb. survivor.
“So am I”, answered the
soldier, and with that began
the long, slow return to
humanity. One year later,
Gerda Weissmann married
her liberator, Lt. Kurt Klein
of the 5th U.S. Infantry Divi
sion.
Mrs. Klein lost her entire
family of 76 people and all
her friends in the Holocaust.
She stated, “I am the only
one privileged to have a
grandchild. When you return
to your homes today, see
what your lives and your
homes contain...Why am I so
lucky?. Why am I so bless
ed?...and what can I do...?”
Her closing words
heightened the awareness of
her audience of the urgency
of keeping the world-wide
Jewish community alert and
strong.
The cochairwomen of the
Gerda Klein, gueat apeaker, and Bobbi Bematein, cam
paign chairwoman.
Nancy Greenberg and Annette Groaa, cochairwomen of
luncheon.
Ethel Gordon; Annie Gorelick, tripa chairwoman; Blanche
Yarua, publicity chairwoman, enjoying lunch.
Lina Levine, hiatorian, holding Women’s Division scrap
book. (photoa/Ruth Goldberg
luncheon were Nancy
Greenberg and Annette
Gross. To attend each
woman made a minimum gift
of $150 to the 1983 Federation
Campaign.
The following women con
tributed food and service to
make this an outstanding
event; Ann Abel, Bobbi
Bernstein, Lee Blumenthal,
Ethel Burstein, Ruth
Goldberg, Gladys Gross,
Florence Jaffa, Jean Kirsch,
Janet Lefkowitz, Lina
Levine, Wilma Saly and
Carol Waldman.
— Blanche Yams
Campaign Update
Bobbi Bernstein, Cam
paign Chairwoman, reported
that as of late March the
Women’s Division had rais
ed $60,899 for the 1983 cam
paign, an increase of 48%
over last year. This
represents gifts from 463
women. She recognized the
following women for their
leadership in the 1983 cam
paign: Gail Bienstock, Ruth
Goldberg, Copresidents;
Maxine Levine, Major Gifts;
Pearl Kier, Intermediate
Gifts; Bobbie Pollard,
General Gifts; Rose Luski,
Sara Schreibman, New
Gifts; Marilyn Shapiro,
Wendy Rosen, Super Sun
day; Cary Bernstein, Nancy
Polinsky, Young Singles;
Renee Gorelick, Trip Chair
woman; Baila Pransky,
Education Chairwoman;
Louise Bernstein, Lee
Blumenthal, Nan Fischer,
Brenda Manes, Education
Committee; Lina Levine,
Historian; Ann Abel,
Florence Jaffa, Sally
Schrader, Shalom Y’all;
Blanche Yarus, Publicity.
She thanked the following
workers: Pearl Abramsky,
Sue Applebaum, Evelyn
Berger, Doris Bernstein,
Lillian Bienstock, Linda
Binnick, Doris Edelstein,
Charlotte Freedland, Helen
Friedman, Jean Garber,
Rhoda Gleiberman, Mary
Gordan, Marta Garelik, Lin-
da Greenfeld, Vicki
Hopkins, Blanche Jaffa,
Janet Jaffa, Ellie Katz,
Honey Kridel, Teri
Leibowitz, Henrietta
Meltsner, Marcelle Oxman,
Brenda Patten, Wilma Saly,
Jessica Schorr, Phyllis
Schwartz, Ada Shapiro,
Lynn Sheffer, Tobey Silber,
Fay Sinkoe, Maddy Stein,
Eleanor Weinglass, Patty
Weisman and Florence
Widis.
— Blanche Yarus
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