Special Supplement: **The Year of the Jewish Educator” P.O. Box 13969 Charlotte, NC 28211 Address Correction Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 1208 The Charlotte ‘TEWISH TEWS Vol. 11 No. 5 Charlotte, North Carolina May 1989 “Passage to Freedom” Campaign Announced Jewish Federation An estimated 30-40,000 Jews are expected to leave the Soviet Union in 1989. The United Jewish Appeal (UJA), in cooperation with the Council of Jewish Fed erations, the United Israel Appeal and HIAS, has launched a special cam paign to raise $75 million in cash to help pay for the resettlement of Soviet Jews going to Israel and the Uni ted States. This campaign has been named “Passage to Freedom.” Bobbi Bernstein, presi dent of the Charlotte Jewish Federation, announced that the Charlotte Federation has launched a special 'Tas- sage to Freedom” campaign. ‘‘Charlotte is joining the rest of the counti^ in doing its part to help the exodus of Soviet Jews,” said Bern stein. The Campaign is being chaired by Rabbi Yoseph Groner, Rabbi Robert Seigel and Rabbi Marc Wilson. The entire Jewish community is mobilizing behind this effort and plans are being made under the auspices of the Federation in cooperation with all communal agencies. A ‘‘Passage to Freedom” leadership strategy meeting was held on April 13 and was followed on April 24 with an educational rally which reached out to the entire conmiunity. The Campaign will culmi nate in a special “Passage to Freedom” Phone-a-thon scheduled for May 21. Anyone who is interested in making a commitment to Soviet Jews by helping in the Campaign should call 366-5007. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Please see pages 8-9 for more about “Passage to Freedom.” VIVA KLEZMER! to Perform at Spoleto Festival VIVA KLEZMER!, Char- lotte’s own resident Klezmer ensemble, has been invited to perform a concert at the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C. The festival, sponsored by the city of Charleston, runs concurrently with the Spole to Festival, and attracts people firom all over the U.S. and the world. VIVA KLEZMER! has been recognized as the fore most interpreter of Klezmer music in the southeast. Members of the ensemble are G^ne Kavadlo, clarinet; Ali Kavadlo, violin; Mike Mos ley, guitar; Leo Bjorlie, bass; and Steven Haas, vocalist. The group has concertized extensively in the Carolinas, but this will be their first appearance at an interna tional festival. They are eagerly looking forward to their Charleston perfor mance. Charlotteans planning to attend the Spoleto Festival may wish to include the VIVA KLEZMER! concert in their plans. The perfor mance will take place on Sunday afternoon, June 4 at 4 p.m., in the Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting Street. Anyone who has heard a VIVA KLEZMER! concert knows that it will be a very exciting as well as entertain ing performance, and the ensemble would love to see some familiar Charlotte fa- VIVA KLEZMER! (L to R) Steven Haas, Gene Kavadlo,Ali Kavadlo, Leo Bjorlie, Mike Mosely. ces in the audience. For those of you unable to make the trip to Charleston, VIVA KLEZMER! is plan ning a free Spoleto send-off concert at Temple Beth El V’Shalom on May 31 at 8 p.m. Israel Independence Day Celebration at J Features FamUy Fcilafel Luncheon The Jewish Community Center, in honor of Israel’s 41st Independence Day, will be having a Family Falafel Luncheon on Sunday, May 7. The program will be held in GU)relick Hall at Shalom Park from 12:30-3:00 p.m. Members of the Jewish com munity are invited to come together in a show of solid arity with the State of Israel and celebrate the ongoing miracle that has occurred in our time — the establish ment of the State of Israel in 1948. Highlights of the after noon program include music and song, led by Steven Haas; Jewish folk dancing led by Jillian Goldberg; films of Jewish interest, a display of Israeli and Jewish books available through the Speizman Library and of course our Falafel luncheon including all kinds of goo dies and treats for everyone. Hiere will be a nominal fee of $6 per family for the program. THIS ISSUE: Book Review ... ....11 Kid’s Page .. 10 Calendar ....27 Lut>avitch ... ...18-19 Classifieds ....27 Organizations 26 Editorials .... 2 Recipes 11 Family Services. .... 5 Templos 24 Federation ...6-7 This ’n That . 12 JCC .13-17 World Beat.. 4 Spmeimh HungmHmn Jmwm 20^21 it Passage to Freedom” pages 8-9 Israel Bonds Honors Gordon Professor Stephen Berk, popular Chairman of the Department of History at Union College in Schenec tady, New York, will speak at an Israel Bonds tribute dinner honoring Charlotte stockbroker Allen Gor don on Sunday, May 7 at Shalom Park. Mark Goldsmith will serve as Campaign Chairman. It was almost accidental that Allen and Ethel (Jor don moved to Charlotte. After selling a business in New York, they looked around for a warmer place to live. Eliminating Florida (too hot), and Atlanta (too big), they decided to try Charlotte — not too big, not too small, a reasonably sized Jewish community and, hopefully, friendly peo ple. Charlotte gained a ded icated, hard working fami ly. Our “Man of the Year” has becii a very active member of Temple Beth El V’Shalom, having served on the board since 1980 and elected president of the tem ple for 2 years. He also has been active in many other Jewish organizations, in cluding service on the boards of the Federation, Foundation and the Hebrew Cemetery. His work with Israel Bonds goes back to his days in New York, where he an nually solicited at his tem ple’s bond drive. One of Allen’s closest friends, the late Sam Lemer, asked him to aid with the Charlotte campaign early on, and Allen chaired the 1985 drive in Charlotte. Having visited Israel in Allen €k>rdon 1980, Allen has seen first hand how Israel Bonds have helped that country. All funds raised by Israel Bonds are channeled into projects for economic and social development. Gordon sayS of this year’s cam paign, “With the imminent in-flow of Soviet Jews into Israel, it is more vital than ever that money be lent to Israel to help resettle our Soviet kinsmen into a mean ingful and productive life.” Allen is married (almost 37 years) to the former Ethel Blumenau of St. Louis, Mis souri, whom he met when they attended Washington University in that city. He See GORDON page 12 XXX Ohe Charlotte Jet^ish Tehration Ohe Carolina "R^ency for Jetfish ‘E}ucation (C'MJ'E) cordially invite you & your family to HONOR THE TEACHERS OF OUR JEWISH SCHOOLS on SUNDAY, JUNE 4 at 7PM In GorelicK Hall at Shalom ParK *AN ICE CREAM “SUNDAE ON SUNDAr’ PARTY •SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT ♦STUDENTS SERENADE THEIR TEACHERS •SPECIAL AWARDS fir PRESENTATIONS JOIN YOUR CHILDREN 9- GRANDCHILDREN FOR A FUN EVENING A special event to celebrate the year 5749 ‘THE YEAR OF THE JEWISH EDUCATOR'^ Coipon&orad by Tmpte Bath D Templt Imet. Tcmptc IsrMi Preachooi Luba^itctt of NC and '~/>fnoHdMed High School XXX