Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / May 1, 1986, edition 1 / Page 22
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Page 2-CJN SUPPLEMENT-May, 1986 Editor*s Comments '7/ you will it, it is no dream •••••• When I arrived in Charlotte twenty-four years ago, we had two temples, Temple Israel (conservative) and Temple Beth El (reform), and the Amity Country Club. The possibilities of bringing the Charlotte Jewish community's educational, religious and recreational facilities together in one location, access ible to all, was only a dream. Sixteen years ago, the N.C. Hebrew Academy of Cheirlotte was foimded and later the Amity became the Jewish Community Center. Another congrega tion, Temple Beth Shalom (reform) had also been formed. Things were happening! Discussions about the Jewish community’s joint venture began in earnest in 1978 under the guidance of a council of presidents of the institutions. Then in 1980, it became evident that the desire for the pro ject was wide-spread and the Foundation of the Charlotte Jewish Community was formed. Today, the dream has become a reality. Phase I, the Blumenthal Jewish Education Building and the Leon and Sandra Levine Jewish Community Center Building, has now been completed at Shalom Park. Our children from the Hebrew Academy and the religious schools of Temple Israel and Temple Beth El (which currently has a joint school with Temple Beth Shalom) will attend classes at the Education Building which also will house a nursery school and Jewish library. The Jewish Federation, Jewish Social Services, the JCC and the Foundation will have their offices in the complex, and at last. The Charlotte Jewish News will have a place to call “home". In the middle of the buildings is Gorelick Hall, a large multipurpose room, behind which 2ire two kitchens. The Community Center Building (“J”) has a gym nasium, health club, indoor track, racquetball courts, indoor pool, exercise and dance rooms, arts and crafts rooms, lounges, snack bar, etc. Shalom Park’s grounds include swimming pools, tennis courts, track and athletic fields. Shalom Park will benefit everyone in Charlotte/ Mecklenburg County and beyond. Foremost, it will provide a focal point for the local Jewish commun ity, a place to meet, study, leam and play. The Jewish Community Center’s programs will be open to everyone. Other non-profit organizations, such as Hadassah, ORT, the entire B’ned B’rith family, will be able to use the facilities upon request. All types of activities, cultural £ind recreational, will enrich our community life. This supplement is dedicated to all who worked so hard and diligently to make “the dream come true” and it is a thank you to aH who have given so much of their time and money to accomplish what we have. You will note that much emphasis is placed on the early days of establishing the Foundation; this is for the many families who arrived after the “wheels were set in motion”. For over a year this paper has had its back page covered with photos of the progress of the building and you csm see for yourself, on May 18, the “real thing”. Much of the materisd contained in this supplement has been reproduced from old issues and the quEility of the photos, therefore, may not be of the best. All of the originals, unfortunately, were lost when the JCC on Sharon-Amity burned to the ground. Just like Rome was not built in a day, Shalom Park was a concentrated effort for approximately seven years. It is a first for emy Jewish community in the world to have built such a complex, and a first that we can be mighty proud of! This supplement has been made possible through the generosity of our many advertisers. We are ex ceedingly grateful to them. We hope that you, too, will show your appreciation by patronizing them. “Together we are...Together we will...Together we have...!! We resdly have only just begun. Working together has created a sense of trust and rapport be tween our leaders. We now will have to reinforce that rapport by working together harmoniously under one roof. We can only aspire for greater and better things to come.... and The Charlotte Jewish News will con tinue to keep you up-to-date on what is happening in our community. — Rita Mond Community Plan A group of public-minded citizens have been working on a plan which would afford an opportunity to Temples Beth El and Israel, the Jewish Com munity Center and the Hebrew Academy to relocate their facilities on a 41-acre tract of land on Providence Road. They have also been discussing rais ing funds to construct a com munity educational facility and a gymnasium. Herman Blumenthal, a mem ber of the group, announced that consideration was being given to the formation of a community foundation to ac quire the 24-acre tract of land now owned by Temple Beth El and an adjacent 17-acre tract presently owned by an invest ment group. It is hoped that sufficient funds could be reused by the foundation to pay for the cost of a joint educational facility designed to provide for the educational needs of the par ticipating institutions. The construction of a gymnasium for the JCC is also being con sidered. The Board of Directors of Temple Beth El, Temple Israel and the JCC have voted to endorse the concept in prin ciple. However, meetings are now being held with represen tatives of these institutions and the Hebew Academy to ex plore in greater detail the basis of their participation. After these meetings are completed, a deter miration will then be made whether the project is feasible. Mr. Blumenthal estimated that it would pro bably be a few months before his group would know whether the concept was acceptable to the participating institutions, its scope, and the probability of its success. August, 1979 Complex Supported The board of the North Carolina Hebrew Academy met last month to discuss the development of a complex for Jewish facilities in Charlotte and the effect it would have on the Academy. After a pro longed discussion of the issues, the board voted strongly in favor of the concept. The presentation was made by Herman Blumen thal, Mark Bernstein and Harry Lemer. Academy President, Dr. Stephen Fishman, characterized the complex as an opportunity for the Academy to become more visi ble within the Jewish community. He also said that communal facilities will promote a greater degree of interaction between Academy students and those at tending Temple schools. **** At their recent meeting Temple Beth Shalom’s Board of Directors untmimously passed a motion to actively participate in the Con glomerate Community Citizens Foundation considering acquisi tion of the 17 acres of land adja cent to the 24 acres owned by Temple Beth El. “This project deserves our full consideration and support in the form of constructive ideas, finan cing, and member participation. Realizing that Beth Shalom is geographically the closest active Jewish organization to the propos ed land acquisition and develop ment, we appreciate the con glomerate planning to move all Jewish activities into our back yard.” Allan Oxman, president, said: “Beth Shalom is now completing major building renovations, but our budget could easily include finemcial assistance to support this dream that has been around for a lot of years.” September 1979 Institutions and Tlieir Presidents and Directors Involved with Sfialom Parli 1979-1986 Foundation Herman Blumenthal Alvin E. Levine Mark Bernstein Exec. Director: Marvin Bienstock Federation Harry Lerner Richard A. Klein Stan Greenspon Ron Katz Exec. Director: Marvin Bienstock JCC Ben Jaffa Jr. Bob Abel Harold Josephson Miles Levine Exec. Directors: Marvin Bienstock Harold Cohen Marty Schneer Stan Swig Academy Steve Fishman Mike Shapiro Pfiggy Gartner Directors: Rabbi Sandy Tucker Raphael Panitz Eleanor Weinglass Berta Straz Temple Beth El Bob Conn Mark Perlin Allen Gordon Sally Schrader Rabbi Harold I i Temple Israel ^^^^^zler Aaron Gleiberman Marvin Barman Jerry Levin Bill Ashendorf Rabbi Richard Rocklin Rabbi Marc Wilson Complex Moves Ahead A letter of intent to Herman Blumenthal, Leon Levine and Alvin Levine expressing a substantial interest in the Pro vidence Road Community Project was signed to the JCC after ob taining unanimous approval of the Center Board of Directors last month. The letter demonstrates the Center’s serious desire to par ticipate in the project and to en courage the citizens group to con tinue its efforts to develop the plan. Similar detailed letters are being sought by the citizens group, from Temple Beth El, Tem ple Israel and the Hebrew Academy, to determine basic elements of involvement of these organizations in the project, ac cording to Herman Blumenthal, spokesman for the group. “As all of the organizations demonstrate the same enthusiasm as the Center for the project we will proceed with the formulation of more specific planning and evaluation,” Mr. Blumenthal stated. A charitable foundation to obtain the title to the property will be organized, a community planner will be employed and a committee to select an architec tural firm will be established. In the meantime, presidents of the Charlotte Jewish Institutions have been meeting regularly to study and attempt to resolve the numerous questions and problems that are presented by a project of this magnitude. The council con sists of Harry Lemer, president of the Charlotte Federation, Aaron Gleiberman, president of Temple Israel, Bob Conn, president of Temple Beth El, Alan Oxman, president of Temple Beth Shalom, Ben Jaffa, Jr. president of the JCC, and Dr. Stephen Fishman, president of the Hebrew Academy. Harry Lerner said, “I am en couraged by the constructive and positive progress of these meet ings and am optimistic about the outcome. We are facing an ex citing new frontier of inter relations beteen Jewish institu tions that involve unique and highly interesting questions. I believe that we will succeed although many problems remain.” Ben Jaffa, Jr., president of the JCC also expressed pleasure with the progress to date. “While there are still serious questions to be resolved, we are optimistic about the project and the Center’s future involvement in it.” October, 1979 We are looking forward to the opening of Shalom Park. Charlotte’s Jewish Organizations BBYO B’nai B’rith Lodge Charlotte Chapter BBW HaLailah BBW Hadassah ORT
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 1, 1986, edition 1
22
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