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INSIDE- Calendar ... 22 JCC ... 14-16 CAMPAIGN .... ,. 12-13 Lubavitch ... 10-11 Classified ...23 Recipes Community News . ...8-9 Resettlement ... 5 Dining Out/Ent ... . 18-19 Teer» EdOp ... 2 -3 This ’n That ... 20 Ens/Marriages .... ... 21 Tributes 23 Family Services ... ...6-7 World Beat .... 4 P.O. Box 13369 Charlotte, NC 28270 Address Correction Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 1208 The Charlotte 'JKWISH ^^NEWS Vol. 15 No. 5 Charlotte, North Carolina May 1993 Jerusalem Hosts Mayors Conference On Governing Multiethnic City By Michele Chabin Holocaust Commemoration Draws Larse Crowd JERUSALEM (JTA) - A conference of mayors from around the world, including Mayor Richard Vinroot of Charlotte, began on a somber note when the host, Mayor I’eddy Kollek, announced to his guests on the first day of discus sions that an Arab terrorist had just stabbed five Jerusalem teenagers and a principal at a local high school. Ironically, the weeklong con ference’s theme was titled “Chal lenges in Governing the Mul tiethnic City.” Kollek, who kicked off the conference, left after news of the attack broke and returned an hour later to the group of 23 visiting mayors. “As you all know, it is difficult to live in a heterogeneous city. Like you, we are trying to find solutions to our problems,” Kollek said. “If ever there was a multieth nic city, it is Jerusalem, whose citizens represent the three great religions and many dozens of cultural and national back grounds,” the 82-year-old mayor said. Of course, he added wryly, “Not all of these citizens want to live together, but when they realize they must, they learn to. And the learning process is assured by proper governing.” The key to coexistence, he said, “is to recognize the rights, as well as the diversity, of all residents.” The delegation of mayors approved a statement condemn ing the attack on the ORT John F. Kennedy vocational school in the Talpiyot neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem. The 13th annual Jerusalem conference, sponsored by the American Jewish Congress, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Hanns-Seidel Foundation, was made up of mayors from a variety of countries, including the United States, Hungary, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Germany and Russia. Though the size and character of their respective cities vary widely, all of the officials have had to cope with ethnic tensions of one sort or another. During a week of seminars, workshops and touring, they exchanged information and ideas with their counterparts from other cities. Many of the guests lauded their host. Mayor Kollek. “Every city suffers from ethnic problems,’' said Mayor William Althaus, from York, PA. “But no one works as hard as Teddy Kollek to defuse the tension. The Hon. Richard Vinroot, Charlotte’s mayor, shaking hands wth Jerusalem's mayor, Teddy Kolleck (L). We’ve really learned a lot from him.” Of Jerusalem’s 570,000 resi dents, Kollek noted, 72 percent are Jewish. The remainder are either Moslem or Christian. Within the Jewish communi ty, a large percentage are reli gious, but to varying degrees. There are also many secular Jewish residents. There are some 40 Christian denominations here as well, each with its own clergy, dogmas and rituals. The Moslem population, though not as varied in sects, also strongly influences the city’s flavor and culture. The result, said Kollek, “is a mosaic, not a melting pot. The groups are separate, but equal. Any attempts to forcibly inte grate the population would be futile. “The Greeks won’t integrate with the Armenians; the Cathol ics won’t mix with the (Greek) Orthodox; the Jews won’t mix with the Arabs. That does not preclude good neighborly rela tions, however.” To illustrate his point, Kollek referred to a nearby park, where Arab and Jewish children roller- skate on the same rink. “The parents watch from the sidelines as the kids skate, and often they will strike up a conversation with one another. The same is true of religious and secular Jewish parents who stroll through the park on a warm evening. Brief encounters like these add to good will,” Kollek said. The mayors caught a glimpse of coexistence, Jerusalem style, during a visit to a health center in the Sheikh Jarrah quarter in East Jerusalem. In his greeting to the group. Dr. Nafez Nubani stated: “This is not only a medical center but a symbol of humanitarianism. It is a bridge between the people living in this city.” The state-of-the-art complex treats both Arabs and Jews on a daily basis. Of the staff, 70 pcrcent are Arab, 30 percent arc Jewish. When Mayor Richard Vin root was at the Holocaust Me morial Service at Shalom Park, he was asked about his feelings about his visit to Israel. He stated, “My trip to Israel was very meaningful to me for two profound reasons: one, I saw the holy land, the birthplace of three of the world’s prominent reli gions; and two, it provided an opportunity to talk with people directly involved in the complex problems that continue to threaten peace there and world wide. I treasure the experience that trip provided me, and always will.” Other mayors interviewed in Israel gave their comments. “I’m very impressed by the city’s efforts to upgrade services in the Arab sector,” said Mayor Kay Granger of Fort Worth, Texas. “Forty percent of Fort Worth’s population is minority, and they feel disenfranchised. The black community suffers from very high unemployment and high infant mortality. The Hispanics are underrepresented in the City Council. The visit here has given me tips on how to handle these problems,” Granger said. Mayor Emanuel Cleaver II of Kansas City, MO, is no stranger to racial and ethnic tensions. “I’m the first African American mayor in the city’s history, and I was bombarded with threats when I was elected.” Cleaver, an ordained United Methodist minister who held both a New Testament artd a Torah scroll during his swear- ing-in ceremony as mayor two years ago, called Jerusalem “a model of multicultural experi ence. “Whenever I reflect on my city’s problems, I look at what Teddy Kollek has accomplished in his city. I say to myself, if Jerusalem can get it together, then the rest of us can, too.” CJN editor Rita Mond con tributed to this article. Second generation of Holocaust survivors lighting memorial candles: (L to R) Darren Mond, Paul Hirschmann, Jered Mond, Susan Wexler. Jackie Fishman, daughter of a Holocaust survivor and guest speaker, appeared before an audience of approximately 200. Photos/Gary Goodman Shalom Y’all to Welcome Newcomers at Reception The Shalom Y’all Committee is planning a special Newcomers’ Reception on Tuesday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Luski Youth Activity Center at Shalom Park. The reception will include brief ings, a tour of Shalom Park and the opportunity to meet with representatives from the various organizations and agencies in the Charlotte Jewish communi ty. Jill Newman, chair, is enthu siastic with the efforts to reac tivate the Shalom Y’all commit tee. Paula Musler, reception chair,' says that invitations have been mailed to all newcomers and Jewish community repre sentatives. Shalom Y’all committee members include Stacy Miller, Paula Musler, Joanne Bigel, Peter Levinson, Lois Benjamin and Debby Rosenbcrger. They have worked diligently on pre paring an informative directory for newcomcrs. Greeters have been assigned to deliver the welcome baskets. Stacy Miller, grceter coordinator, coordinat ed a group of people interested in greeting ncwcomers to Char- Jill Newman lotte. Joanne Bigel, basket coor dinator, has seen that all baskets contain useful items for newco mers for their orientation into the community. For further information, please call Pam Appelbaum, staff associate, at the Federation office, 366-5007, ext. 209. If you are a newcomer to Charlotte and have not yet been reached, please call the Federation office. ^ ^‘Make a Difference — Be a Friend” pages 6-7 J
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 1, 1993, edition 1
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