1990 Campaign Kr. Pages 16-17 P.O. Box 13369 Charlotte, NC 28226 Address Correction Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 1208 The Charlotte ^TEWISH ^^NEWS Vol. 11 No. 11 Charlotte, North Carolina December 1989 “Hanukkah—Let There be Lights” To Air on WTVI-Channcl 42 The Luski Family Hosts “The Many Faces of Yiddish Song” Hanukkah has been celebrat ed for more than 21 centuries by millions of people. Once only a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, it now plays a more dominant role in Jewish life. Yet Hanukkah remains one of the most misunderstood of holidays to Jews and Christians alike, partly because it falls so close to Christmas each year. Hanukkah: Let There be Lights, produced by WVIZ-TV/ Cleveland-Akron and airing on WTVI-42 Friday, Dec. 22 at 9:30 p.m. (A rebroadcast of the program will be shown Dec. 24 at 6 p.m.) explains this special Jewish celebration. Falling in December each year, the tradi tional lighting of candles, the games, gifts and even the foods all have political and religious significance. Hosted by educator and actor Reuben Silver and Rabbi Ben Kamin of The Temple in Cleve land, Ohio, Hanukkah: Let There Be Lights blends the historical aspects of the holiday with personal stories of family celebrations. Harold Gould, Robert Clary, Lainie Kazan and Jack Carter share their child hood memories of Hanukkah, Lainie Kazan Jack Carter HaroMGonU Robert Clary and rcflect on what “The Fes tival of Lights” means to them today. Hanukkah is a historical com memoration marking the first time in all of history.^ that a people deliberately, carefully and with their own blood, set themselves free. Its heritage is drawn from a background of destruction, freedom fighters, guerrilla warfare and the very Super Sunday Set for Jan. 14 By Morris Spil Super Sunday Chair The 1990 Federation Cam paign will culminate on January 14 with Super Sunday. Last year’s Super Sunday was a tremendous success and we all hope to do even better this year. Preparation has already begun to ensure that this will be the best Super Sunday ever. Many thanks to some special people who have volunteered to work on the Super Sunday Planning Committee. They include Errol Cohen, Jodi Cohen, Mike Kovner, Henry Rabinovich, Wendy Rosen, Norman Shapi ro, Marcia Stern, Marc Title- baum and Kay Yaffe. You may be asked to make phone calls for Super Sunday. Each shift will last two and one- half hours (thirty minutes of training and two hours of call ing). Prizes will be awarded at each shift and babysitting will be available all day. The shifts are 9:30 a.m.-noon; 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; 1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of Super Sunday, please call Lisa Platock at the Federation office, 366- 5007. You may be called on Super- Sunday to make a contribution to help hundreds of thousands of Jewish people here in Char lotte and around the world. Federation dollars support ac tivities here in Charlotte like the JCC, Jewish Family Services, BBYO and much more. Your contribution will also help So viet Jews live in freedom for the first time in their lives. So please answer the call with your heart felt commitment. The Charlotte Jewish Feder ation’s Campaign is a centralized fundraising effort on behalf of UJA, ten local beneficiary agen cies and a host of other local, national and overseas Jewish programs and organizations. Our dollars help more than 600,000 Jews around the world. survival of the Jewish people. Hanukkah has its origins 2100 years ago when Antiochus, a Grcek-Syrian ruler, ordered all Jews to denounce their heritage and outiawed-the practice of Jewish customs. To prove the strength of his purpose, Antio chus and his men destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. War ensued, and a small rebel force, led by Judah the Macca- bee, eventually recaptured the Temple. Legend holds that a great miracle occurred while Judah See WTVI page 6 Young or old, long-time Yid- dishist or novice, you will want to be in Gorelick Hall on Sun day, December 17 at 8 p.m. for a rousing evening of “heimische” entertainment and culture. Zal- men Mlotek and Shoshana Ron, two of today’s premier interpre ters of Jewish music, will present “The Many Faces of Yiddish Song.” Both Zalmen and Sho shana are gifted musicians and scholars of Jewish folk tradition. They will offer a narrated con cert that traces the development of Yiddish music from its roots in the shtetl through its Amer ican evolution in the theatre, synagogue, and among the people. The evening of song and story is hosted by the Luski family as their first annual endowed Lec tureship in Jewish Arts and Folk Culture. It is one of an ongoing series of Distinguished Lecture ships sponsored by Temple Israel, llie entire community is cordially invited to this special event, which is free of charge. The Luskis will also host a dessert buffet at the end of the program, to which all are wel come. Zalmen Mlotek is a musician who is equally at home in the worlds of opera and Yiddish music. Presently, he is the direc tor of the Workmen’s Circle Chorus in New York. He is the editor of the anthology, “Great Songs of the Yiddish Theatre.” “Saturday Night Live”— Campaign Kickoff Came “Alive” Purple and black helium bal loons filled the air and added to the festivity in the Adam’s Mark Hotel Ballroom for the 1990 Campaign Kick-Off held on November 4. “Saturday Night Live” was a Charlotte Jewish extravaganza that brought to gether young and old, involved and uninvolved, for an evening of learning and laughter. It was an evening filled with a wonder ful community spirit that soared as a video was projected on a large screen depicting the pas sage of Soviet Jews from the Soviet Union to Israel and the United States, followed by co median Jerry Farber who light ened the air with his brand of Jewish humor. It was a magnif icent evening that heralded a new benchmark reached by the Federation in its communal development. After Emily Zimmern wel comed the audience and spoke to the group about the new decade that we, as a Jewish people, are entering. Rabbi Israel Gerber gave an invocation that blessed the community as it departs on its 1990 effort. With over 300 people standing in reverence commitment to a year of Jewish fundraising. Rabbi Gerber asked for God’s help in solidarity, achievement and support. Paul Putterman, cam paign chair, gave “The Call to Action.” Sara Schreibman spoke about the accomplish- See SATURDAY page 5 Book Reviews 25 Federation 5-6 Recipes 31 Calendar 31 JCC .... 10-13 Temples 26-27 Classified 31 Jewish Book Week ... 9 This 'n That 6 Editorials 2 Lubavitch 20-21 Tweens/Teens 14-15 Family Services 3 Organizations .... 28-29 WorkJ Beat 4 Special Features From Here to the Soviet Union — Part IV 18-19 New! Engagement/Wedding Announcements 30 Entertainment & Restaurant Section 22-24 Shoshana Ron He has directed a number of Anglo-Jewish productions, ap peared as guest conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and has served as an opera coach for the Metropolitan Opera. He coauthored the Yiddish-English musicals, “The Golden Land,” “On Second Avenue” and “Those were the Days,” serving as musical director, vocal ar ranger and conductor. Shoshana Ron, with her roots deep in the European and Israeli experiences, is a highly ac claimed soprano of whom a New York critic recently said, “Your songs brought tears as well as joy to all of us.” She was born in Poland and raised in Russia and Israel. Her talent was rec ognized at an early age and she began performing on the radio and concert stage. Since arriving in the U.S., she has performed in many major cities and with many known celebrities. She has sung in Yiddish Theater and at Lincoln Center and continues concert engagements through out Israel and Europe. Zalmen and Shosana come to us by way of a command per formance, return engagement. They were the stars of this year’s Yiddish Institute at Wildacres and left everyone there clamor ing for more. Through the gra ciousness of the Luski family, the opportunity for “more” will become a reality. Ask the folks who were at the Yiddish Institute about the treat that is in store for all of us. So, plan to come early and stay late, to shed a bittersweet tear and sing out for joy, as Zalmen and Shoshana take us on a magnificently guided tour of “The Many Faces of Yiddish Song.” IN THE NEWS