Holiday
Gift Guide
pages 14-15
5007 Providencc Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28226
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Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte 3EWISH =NEWS
Vol. 15 No. 10
Charlotte, North Carolina
Novemk>er 1993
— Hear The Lions Roar —
By Bobbi Bernstein
On Monday, Oct. 4, 1,100
Jewish women from across the
country, Mexico and Canada
gathered in Washington, DC to
attend the 1st National Women’s
Division Lion of Judah Confer
ence. I was privileged to be
among them, and it was an
experience so special that I
would like to share it with you.
The conference invitation
(which arrived in July) promised
“an extraordinary, energizing
experience in our nation’s cap
ital celebrating the empower
ment of The American Jewish
Woman,” and the response was
overwhelming. They expected
400 women, limited it to 8(K), and
overflowed to 1,100 women in
a matter of weeks! The excite
ment generated was palpable
and the conference did indeed
live up to its promise.
It provided a rare opportunity
to participate in the most excit
ing programs ranging from an
opening session with Marion
Wright Edelman, head of the
Children’s Defense Fund, to a
major plenary on the peace
process with an expert panel
including one of the highest
ranking Palestinian leaders in
volved in the Israel/PLO peace
agreement, along with Middle
East professors and state depart
ment officials.
We had a surprise visit by
Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan
as well as a keynote address by
His Excellency, Itamar Rabino
vich, Israel’s ambassador to the
United States.
The conference hosted a re
ception honoring the new
members of the House of Re
presentatives but by far, the
most exciting event was the
tribute to the women of the
United States Senate. All seven
United States women Senators
were presented and took part in
an historic first time panel
discussion. They had never
before been together on one dais,
at one time, and were frankly
amazed that the conference
coordinators were able to pull
if off. Ann Rubinstein (formerly
of NBC nightly news) moderated
this exciting panel, and we came
away feeling so proud of these
bright, articulate women who
have dared to make a difference
in the U.S. Senate.
None of us forgot, for one
moment, why we came to Wash
ington as we toured the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum
and became witnesses, once
again, to the horrors of our past.
We had been given extended
hours at the Museum and had
the freedom to take as much time
as needed to see, and leam, and
listen. It was wonderful to share
this experience with other Jew
ish women who understood our
tears as we listened to the
heartfelt stories of the survivors.
Following the tour, we were
addressed by Michael Beren-
Carole Solomon, chair of UJA’s National Women’s Division, presenting
gift to Marian Wright Edelman, president. Children’s Defense Fund,(R)
at Lion of Judah Conference in Washington, D.C. photo/Robcrt a. Cumins
baum, the project director of the
Museum and Gerda Klein, Ho
locaust survivor and author. It
is hard to describe the emotional
impact of listening to Gerda
Klein describe her feelings as she
walks through this memory of
her past and the message of hope
she brings to all of us about the
future. Gerda Klein’s two adult
children, along with several
other children of survivors, led
See LIONS page 27
Kristallnacht
I IV.**
~UJA PrsM nMto
Kristallnacht. The Night of Shattered Glass.
November 10, 1939 is a date that is symbolic to
the Jewish people. While Nazi Germany had already
set in place many restrictions for Jews, Kristallnacht
was a violent omen of things to come. It was a
time shocking to many Jews because of the
unconcealed hatred and violence it displayed. Jewish
homes, stores and synagogues were vandalized in
Nazi Germany and Austria on that night.
Kristallnacht is a time to remember, so it can
never be repeated. Join us at the Jewish Community
Center for a Kristallnacht Memorial Service on Nov.
10 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the JCC,
366-5007.
In The News
JCC Presents Annual Gala:
‘A Night in Venice”
December 11 is the date for
the Jewish Community Center’s
elegant “Night in Venice.” This
annual Gala will be bigger and
better than last year’s which still
has people talking about the
great time they had.
Chairing this spectacular
event is Jill Newman who is
being assisted by Sue Ades and
Linda Goldsmith, ticket co
chairs; Paul Edelstein and Mike
Van Glish, auction chairs; Paula
Musler and Elaine Schefflin,
catering chairs. Many volunteers
will be helping to ensure that
every detail will be taken care
of to enhance the evening and
guarantee a good time for all.
The Gala will begin with both
silent and live auctions. Gifts for
the auction have already started
pouring in. You’ll be able to bid
on a wide array of exciting items
ranging from theater and sports
tickets to luxurious jewels and
trips to far away places. Plan to
arrive at 7:30 p.m. so you don’t
miss the chance to bid on the
gift of your dreams.
When the auction ends, danc-
Jill Newman
ing and feasting begin. The
sumptuous Italian dinner will
have something for everyone’s
taste. You’ll be able to dance the
night away to the music of “Easy
Street.” Don’t be surprised if you
recognize one or two of the band
members; both Dr. Peter Katz
and Dr. James Hedrick are part
of this talented combo.
Don’t miss out on this terrific
evening. Tickets are only $125
per couple. To make a reserva
tion, donate auction items, or for
more information contact the
JCC at 366-5007.
Jack Wexler Honored
By Debbie Maslov
Jack Wexler, owner and di
rector of the Family Computer
Center, Inc., was awarded the
Business Friends and Child
Advocate Award for North
Carolina from the Council for
Children, at the Adam’s Mark
on Oct. 14. The Family Com
puter Center, Inc. (FCC) was
one of several nominations from
the state of North Carolina and
along with Duke Power was one
of two businesses to receive this
award.
The FCC was established in
1988 with the mission to “pro
vide an environment where
children could increase their
computer knowledge and realize
that the computer is a tool that
can improve and assist their
overall learning capabilities.”
The Center started at the
Charlotte Jewish Community
Center with only 21 students and
in 1993 ended with 180 kids
attending the camp. There are
now 4 additional locations:
Nashville, Kansas City, Pitts
burgh and Memphis.
The FCC has supported and
participated in numerous com-
CAJE
7
Family Services ..
6
—Special Features—
Calendar
9
Federation
5
Classified
24
JCC
... 16-18
Jews By Choice
Community News ..
...8-11
Lubavitch
... 12-13
Page 26
Dining Out/Ent. ...
.. 20-23
Teen Page
19
Ed-Op
.... 2-3
This ’n That
24
Behind the Headlines
Eng./Marriages ...
.. 26-27
World Beat
4
Page 25
Jack Wexler
munity projects dedicated to
helping children through cre
ative and educational programs.
It has shown its support exten
sively through volunteering for
Springfest, offering free classes
for special needs groups who use
the computer center and provid
ing scholarships to children for
computer camp.
Jack opened the doors that
opened the minds of hundreds
of school aged children who
eagerly embraced social studies,
geography and world history.
He conceived the idea of hosting
a county wide contest proving
that every child can learn and
be a winner, thereby creating
The Carmen Sandiego Day
Contest for Mecklenburg Coun
ty. ‘‘Where in the World is
Carmen Sandiego?,*’a computer
software program, became a
contest that any fourth through
sixth grader in Mecklenburg
County, regardless of racc, crecd
or religion, could participate in
at no charge. It took five months
and thousands of hours of ded
ication to coordinate this event
See WEXLER page 22