JCC Adult & Children’s Programs
pages 10*13
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Charlotte, N.C.
Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte TEWBH'=NEWS
Vol. 8 No. 8
Charlotte, North Carolina
September, 1988
^^Dedication Weekend’* of Shalom Park
Foundation, JCC, Temples Sponsor Various Functions
Temples Cosponsor
Special Services
Danny Siegel
Mr. Danny Siegel, noted
Jewish poet, author and lec
turer, will be the scholar-in-
residence for the Dedication
Weekend, September 19-21.
Mr. Seigel has published more
than a dozen books, and his
articles have appeared in
Moment Magazine, Present
Tense, National Jewish
Monthly, the Jewish Spec
tator and Israel Digest. He
has been very active as a
proponent of personalized
Tzedakah and is the originator
of the Tzedakah Project for
the collection and distribution
of funds to little-known
individuals and projects. He
has achieved international
recognition for his efforts in
this area.
Mr. Siegel will deliver the
sermon on Friday evening at
the joint Shabbat Service of
(cont’d on page 14)
Dedication Weekend is a weekend of celebration of a dream fulfilled, the dedication of Shalom
Park’s momentous reality. This historic weekend of events recognizes the culmination of the
tireless efforts of many dedicated workers, the blending of their talents, the flow of inspired
ideas and exemplary generosity of the Charlotte community. Shalom Park has set new stan
dards as a recognized role model for the development of future all-inclusive Jewish Centers
throughout the world.
Black Tie Gala Held For Donors
On Saturday September 20,
the Donor Black Tie Gala, will
commence at 7 p.m. at Shalom
Park. It will eloquently ex
press the joyous spirit of the
Jewish community’s grand ac
complishment. The evening’s
festivities will be part of the
eventful “Dedication Week
end” of Shalom Park: an ex
citing dinner-dance, outstand
ing personalities and talented
performers and musicians in a
beautiful atmosphere.
Emceed by Foundation
President Mark Bernstein, the
Gala will feature a gourmet
dinner by Atlanta’s “Affairs
to Remember” caterers; danc
ing to the music of Ziggy Hur-
witz and his orchestra; £ind the
unique entertainment ensem
ble “Cabaret Company.”
Tobi Colbert, the producer-
director of the Carbaret Com
pany, has said that “some
times we feel we’re the phsui-
tom singing group of Char
lotte.” The company started
four years ago and they have
entertained at resort hotels,
country clubs and convention
(cont’d on page 14)
Sandra Levine
Anita Blumenthal
W
Bobbi Bernstein
Jill Newman
Family Carnival
Sponsored by JCC
Is Sunday Activity
On Sunday, September 21,
the JCC will give their
“thanks” to the community
during Dedication W^eekend.
From 1-4 p.m., the “J” is spon
soring a “Gala Family Car
nival.” There will be free ad
mission to attend the carnival,
but there will be a small
charge for participation at the
many games. A fun time will
be had at the various activ
ities: pony rides, dunking
booth, space wedk, ball buggy
booth, speedball, basketball
free throw, golf hole-in-one, tic
tac toss, horse shoes, milk can
toss, duck pick-up, cat throw
and ring toss. Prizes will be
awarded to all the lucky
winners.
Since most of the activities
will take place in the gym, it
is requested that sneakers be
worn. Phil Levine has announ
ced that the snack bar will be
open with food at special
"Dedication Day” prices.
Chairing the event is Mar
shall Rosenfeld, assisted by
Stu Epstein, Director of
Health and Physical Educa
tion. They promise that the en
tire family will have a day of
fun and enjoyment.
**Outreach'’ and **Newcomers” Programs Studied
Hebrew High School Is Formed
On Sunday, September 14,
history will be made in
Charlotte. For the first time,
students from Temple Israel
and Temple Beth El V’Shalom
will join together in a Con
solidated High School of
Jewish Studies. It has long
been the dream of the Jewish
community to enable our
young people to interact and
interrelate with each other. In
response to the initiative that
created Shalom Park, the two
congregations have taken a
major step to creat this pro
gram based on the principle of
K’lal Yisrael (Jews working
together). The students, in
grades 8-12, will study such
subjects as Siddur (Prayer-
book), History, Bible with
Rabbinic commentary. Philos
ophy and Pirkei Avot. In ad
dition, elective courses will be
offered in Hebrew, Literature,
Holocaust studies, the arts,
among others.
The High School concept
grew out of a series of
meetings held last year with
the professional and lay
leadership of the entire Jewish
community. During the
discussions, sub-committees
were formed to review com
munity high schools in other
communities, develop cur
riculum, propose a structure
for the program and consider
other details needed to create
the school. During the winter
months, the congregations
were approached for approval
(cont’d on page 17)
—In Tho N«ws—
Calendar
20
Classified
20
Editorials
2
JCC
9-13
Lubavitcher Rebbe 5
Organizations
18
Recipes
20
Social Services...
3
Temples
16
Thi* 'n That
•
World Beat
4
Yiddish Institute..
19
Two of Federation’s most
successful undertakings have
been the “Shalom Y’all” pro
gram for newcomers and the
“Outreach” to the un
affiliated.
The Outreach study, con
ducted in the Fall of 1984, led
to the establishment of the
Joint Adult Institute for
Jewish Studies and to suc
cessful efforts to make
newcomers feel “wanted and
personally welcome” in the
Temples and the JCC.
In January of this year, free
six-month memberships were
offered to every unaffiliated
Jewish household in the tem
ple of their choice. Eighty-five
households accepted and be
came part of temple com
munities.
The Outreach Committee,
chaired by Ruth Goldberg, is
anxious to know how these
trial memberships worked out.
Were they mutually satisfying
to both the new members and
to the temples? What could
have been done to make the
experiment even more suc
cessful?
To get the answers, the
Outreach Committee will be
conducting a follow-up study.
The results will be brought to
the temple boards and the
Federation board for evalua
tion and recommendations for
action,
“In this constantly growing
Jewish community we have to
be aware of changing styles
and needs and be able to res
pond to them,” says Mrs.
Goldberg. “We need to have
the facts in order to plan for
our futures as institutions and
as individuals.”
Shalom Y’all, the new
comers service of the Women’s
Division of the Federation, is
also undergoing study and
considering expansion. Sandra
Weinstein, chair of Shalom
Y’all has been involved in
discussions about the forma
tion of a Newcomers Club. The
Curpose of such a club would
e to offer newcomers an op
portunity to meet each other
on a regular basis, to learn
about Charlotte and to have a
resource fw getting those hun
dreds of crucial answers peo
ple need when adjusting to a
new area.
Currently, Shalom Y’all
sponsors a series of social
evenings 3-4 times a year.
These events each attract
70-80 newcomers and repre
sentatives of local institu
tions/organizations. They are
considered by many to be their
key point of entry into Jewish
communal life. Introductory
biographies gathered from
newcomers at these socials are
printed, along with photos, in
the CJNews. These result in
numerous phone calls from
established community mem
bers who share a common in
terest with the newcomers and
want to “get in touch”.
The continued rapid growth
of the Jewish community has
prompted Shalom Y’all to
rethink the rapidity with
which newcomers are greeted
and the frequency they have
for meeting each other. Hence,
the Newcomers Club idea.
While still in its beginning
stage, the concept has gained
major support from the JCC
which has assigned Jackie
Fishman, its Director of Adult
Activities, to work as “loaned
staff” for the project.