P.O. Box 13369
Charlotte, NC 28270
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Charlotte, NC
Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte *TEWISH ‘^NEWS
Vol. 14 No. 8
Charlotte, North Carolina
September 1992
Temples to Celebrate the New Year in New Buildings
Temple Israel to Hold Dedication and Gala Prior to Holidays
By Cynthia Chapman &
Lois Schneider
Would our ancestors from
Eastern Europe believe it? After
the mass immigration to Amer
ica, after the Shoah, Jewish
community thrives in Southern
America in Charlotte, North
Carolina. The dream of Shalom
Park reaches a new level of
achievement this fall with the
opening of both new synagogue
buildings.
The entire community is in
vited to the dedication of Temple
Israel’s new edifice scheduled for
September 13 at 2:30 p.m. It is
an event that Temple Israel’s
congregation has been looking
toward with great excitement.
Temple Israel has long been
part of Jewish life in Charlotte.
It officially began when the
Hebrew Benevolent Society was
chartered by the General Assem
bly of North Carolina, on De
cember 24, 1870. In September,
1895, it was formed as Congre
gation Agudath Achim, Hebrew
United Brotherhood.
The decades since have
brought many changes to the
Jewish community and the
larger Charlotte-Mecklenburg
area. The Temple was first on
Seventh Street and then on
Dilworth Road. Moving the shul
to Shalom Park has already
infused Temple Israel with a new
vitality.
We invite you to share our
excitement, both at the dedica
tion and in the years to come.
Temple Israel has many pro
grams to meet many needs.
Whether you are young or old,
new to Charlotte or a longtime
resident, now is the time to
discover (or rediscover) what
Temple Israel has to offer. We
welcome you to join us.
View toward the front
About the Dedication
Before the dedication, the
festivities will start with a Torah
March from Holocaust Square
at Dilworth Road to the new
building. The Torah March
symbolizes the transition from
the old site of Temple Israel to
the new building, and from the
past to the future. After the
Torahs arrive in Shalom Park,
they will be passed among all the
past presidents until they arrive
at the front of the new building.
A mezuzah will then be hung
at the front door and the final
cornerstone will be set. Corner
stones from both the Seventh
Street shul and the Dilworth
Road shul have been placed
already.
Following the ribbon cutting,
everyone will move indoors for
the program. Speakers will
include a representative from
United Synagogue, Rabbi H.
Scott White and Sol Jaffa. A
reception will be held in the
Social Hall following the pro
gram with music by VIVA
KLEZMER!
A bronze commemorative
medallion will be available for
sale featuring a graphic repre
sentation of the new building.
of the new Temple Israel.
Medallions of the Dilworth
Road shul will also be available
for purchase at the dedication.
These are certain to be treasured
keepsakes in the years to come.
Weekend Festivities
The dedication will cap a
weekend full of celebration
including family services on
Friday night and special Shab-
bat services on Saturday morn
ing. Sisterhood will sponsor an
art auction Saturday night, Sept.
12.
Also, congregation members
are invited to participate in a
bake-in in the new Temple
kitchen for Sunday’s reception.
The bake-in will be held
Wednesday, Sept. 9 and Thurs
day, Sept. 10, lOa.m.-l p.m. and
6 p.m.-9 p.m. You can call the
Temple Israel office for more
information at 362-2796.
Gala Dinner Dance
But the celebration won’t end
that weekend. There will be a
Gala Dedication Dinner Dance
held on Saturday, Sept. 26 and
See GALA page 22
What is Temple Beth El?
By Ethel Gordon
What is Temple Beth El? It
is a synagogue, a meeting place
for Jewish worship, religious
study and social interaction
based in the Charlotte commu
nity but extending its interest
nationally and worldwide.
In reality, it is much more than
that! It is a magnificent new
structure atop a hill in Shalom
Park. The building was inspired
by historical synagogues evok
ing ancient and traditional Jud
aic elements and was designed
by Kehert, Shatken, Sharon
Architects of Princeton, New
Jersey.
It is also much more than that!
It is a group of approximately
five hundred families of all ages,
sizes, with diverse interests and
various objectives for belonging
to this almost fifty year old
Reform congregation.
It is also much more than that!
The varying interests and fore
sight are what brought about the
new Temple Beth El, and going
further back in history, Shalom
Park. It will be these varying
interests of vibrant creative
people which will continue the
momentum of what was begun
more than 20 years ago when 24
acres were purchased on what is
now the site of the new Temple
Beth El as we see it today.
Shalom Park evolved from this
original purchase.
It is also much more than that!
It is a place where in our sanc
tuary congregants welcome the
Sabbath facing an antique mar
ble ark from a Passaic, New
Jersey temple now disbanded. It
is a sanctuary filled with prayers,
songs and magnificent organ
Antique marble ark in Temple Beth
El’s sanctuary.
music, filled with B’nai Mitzvah,
betrothal prayers, baby nam
ings, Tot Shabbats, conversions
and sermons. It is a sanctuary
that seats 380 with expansion to
1093. A nursery featuring Jewish
activities is provided for children
of those attending services.
Temple Beth El is still much
more than that! It is a Chapel/
Library with the focus being the
Ark and Ner Tamid (Eternal
Light) from our previous Tem
ple, so familiar to our congre
gants whose history dates from
1949. This area will be used for
more intimate services.
It is also much more than that?
Our Fellowship Hall with its
barrel vaulted ceiling and large
mullioned window overlooking
a soon to be in place garden and
permanent Sukkah will seat 325
for dinner. Its first use for this
number will be October 10 when
a gala dinner reception will be
held celebrating the dedication
of the Temple. Featured that
evening will be the international
comedian David Brenner. The
See WHAT page 15
Millions Raised after Meeting with Rabin
Rabbi Seigel to Take Post in Calif.
Rabbi Robert Seigel has re
signed as Temple Beth El’s rabbi
to accept a similar position at
Temple Beth Israel, a reform
congregation of 348 families, in
Fresno, Calif. Though some
what smaller than Temple Beth
El which has approximately 500
families, Seigel feels that it is a
time for change for him. He will
remain in Charlotte until Octo
ber.
A Charleston native, Seigel
came to Charlotte 12 years ago
from his post as a chaplain at
the University of Miami. Years
before that he served as Hillel
director at the University of N.C.
at Chapel Hill. He was hired to
lead Temple Beth Shalom,
which was a small reform con
gregation in Charlotte, and at
that time was also a circuit rabbi.
In 1986, Temples Beth El and
Beth Shalom merged to become
Temple Beth El V’Shalom. Re
cently, with the completion of
the new temple, it was renamed
Temple Beth El.
Seigel helped to found Mec
klenburg Ministries, a social
action group of 107 congrega
tions. He has been an outspoken
leader in interfaith efforts in the
city.
Temple Beth El President
Michael Gold said the congre
gation will likely choose an
interim rabbi before hiring a
permanent successor within
eight months.
The United Jewish Appeal
held the most successful single
fund-raising event in its fifty-
three years history on Aug. 13.
A total of $67.3 million was
raised during a meeting of UJA
leaders from throughout the
U.S. with Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin. The Prime Min
ister laid out the directions of
the new government in Israel,
including accelerating the peace
negotiations and establishing
immigrant absorption as one of
the country’s top priorities. He
told the leadership gathering
that Israel’s doors would always
remain open for new immi
grants, who must be given the
opportunity of better lives in
their new homeland.
The meeting, held at the Plaza
Hotel in New York City, was
cochaired by Charles Bronfman,
L to R: Joel Tauber, Max M. Fisher, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin,
Leslie Wexner, Charles Bronfman. UJA pboio/Robi. Cumins
cochairman of the Board of the
Seagram Compnay, Ltd., and by
Leslie Wexner, founder, presi
dent and chairman of the Board
of The Limited, Inc. Max M,
Fisher, a UJA Honorary Na
tional Chairman was Honorary
Chairman of the event. UJA
In
The
News
CAJE
13
Family Services ..
8
Resettlement ...
9
Calendar
23
Federation
.... 6-7
Temples
... 14-15
Classifieds
23
JCC
... 11-12
This’nThat ....
21
Ed-Op
2-3
Lubavitch
... 16-17
Tributes
13
Eng/Marriages ...
...18-19
Organlzatkxts ...
.. 20-21
World Beat
4
JCC Cfwm - pagt 10
SPEaAL SUPPLEMENT
Dining Out/Catering
EntertatmiMnt
President Marvin Lender organ
ized the special session.
The funds pledged will sup
port Operation Exodus, the
special UJA campaign for bring
ing Soviet and Ethiopian immi
grants to Israel and assisting in
their absorption. As of July 31,
1992 Operation Exodus raised
J728 minion. UJA, in partner
ship with local Jewish federa
tions and smaller communities,
also conducts an Annual Cam-
Sec MILLIONS page 6