The Charlotte Jewish News - October, 1995 - Page 2
Federation Connection
perspectives
by Harvey Cohen
Writers and Their Thouglits
Plus a Guideline for You
Editors note: My column this
month is in two parts and, as the
headline tells you, is about writers
and writing. Part Two contains a
message for all writers who con
tribute to the CJN, whether for their
organization or as an individual.
Part One
Given the choice, if you'd
rather have a root canal done than
write for publication, don't worry,
there's nothing wrong with you.
You've got lots of company. And
with that thought in mind, I felt you
might find some comfort in the
words of other writers about writ
ing.
Writing is easy; all you do is
sit staring at a blank sheet of pa
per until the drops of blood form
on your forehead. - Gene Fowler
I write to find out what I'm
talking about. - Albert Albee
It took me fifteen years to dis
cover I had no talent for writing,
but I couldn 7 give it up because by
that time I was too famous. - Rob
ert Benchley
Remember, we writers have a
rare power not given to anyone
else; we can bore people long af
ter we are dead. - Sinclair Lewis
The first two quotations are
more meaningful to me than the last
two. I doubt that I will ever become
famous for my writing. That being
the case, my writings will not live
beyond my own self. 1 do, however,
sometimes put things down on pa
per to be sure that what I'm trying
to convey is clear.
Now, as to the drops of blood,
I haven't been quite there yet, but I
have felt the pressure of trying to
write something for this newspaper,
or a script, for example, with the
deadline upon me and the project
far from completion. My stress level
goes up along with my blood pres
sure. For me, deadlines are a way
of life and I learned how to live with
them and conform to them years
ago.
Part Two deals with an impor
tant topic - a CJN deadline. I know,
it's like another root canal for you.
Read it anyhow.
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
5007 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28226
366-5007 Fax 365-4507
Published by:
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte Adrienne Rosenberg - Acting Director
Jewish Community Center Alan Feldman, Director
Editor Harvey Cohen
Advertising Coordinator Rita Mond
Advertising Rep : Larry Levy
CJN Executive Board
Co-Chairs - Bob Abel, Bob Davis, Rosalind Taranto
Evelyn Berger, Leora Itzhaki, Ann Langman, Linda Levy, Dr. Selwyn Spangenthai
PubUslMd monthly «xc«pt for July
Copy dMdlin* th« 10th of Mch month
preceding month of issue
The C//V does mot ■—k reiwibaity for tW ^saJitv or kaakratli
of aay prodact or acrvicc advcrtiMd. No articlco or advcrtiocMcata
■My Im rcpriatcd «vttbo«t editor’a aathotizatMMi.
Pabliahiag of a paid |»olit>cal advcrtiacsMal do«* oot coaatitatc aa
aadoraeaigat of aay raadidate, political party or political poaitioa by
thaa oewapaper, tW Fcdaratioa or aay caiployeco.
Part Two
OK, all you writers who send
material to the CJN for publication.
Part Two is for you.
You may have the job of resi
dent writer for your organization, a
job you really don't want, but being
the good soul that you are, you do
it anyhow. Or, you may just be
sending a wedding announcement
to the paper and don't write any
thing on a regular basis. In either
circumstance, you worry about
spelling, about grammar and punc
tuation. The last thing you may
worry about is whether or not your
material gets to the CJN office in
time for publication. I realize that
because you're busy or you've been
out of town or ill, or something else,
CJN may not be on the top of your
mind. That, however, can't change
the newspaper's deadline.
Most people and organizations
know and respect our deadline of
the 10th of the month preceding
publication and for that I thank you.
One thing I've not done clearly in
the past is spell out the deadline
policy when the 10th of the month
falls on a Saturday or Sunday. So,
here is the policy to cover that situ
ation. Regardless of which week
end day the 10th falls on, your
deadline is the Friday before at
5:00 p.m. If I receive material on
the following Monday, it probably
won't appear in the next issue.
Enforcing these deadlines is
important if the newspaper is to be
produced and delivered on a timely
basis. But there's another factor
most people don't think about.
As you might imagine, a great
deal of planning goes into the
preparation and production of this
newspaper. Any delay in executing
the plan forces an army of people
you never see to be delayed. The
company that prints the newspaper
is on a timetable, therefore we're on
a timetable based on their produc
tion schedule.
I'm writing about deadlines in
this column sitnply because it's the
best way to reach everyone at one
time who contributes to the news
paper
I don't like deadlines any more
than you, but they are a fact of life
that can't be ignored.
the Editor
Dear Editor,
We are writing to express our
dismay at your choice of editorial
cartoons for the September, 1995
issue of the Charlotte Jewish News,
Mr. Jim Hunt’s choice of meta
phors to express the concern of the
Jewish community regarding the
impact of interfaith marriage upon
American Jewish lifeand faith is
misguided at best. His depiction of
a broken hourglass with the “sand
of interfaith marriage running out,
thus depleting the Jewish faith, re
flects an unfortunate attitude. In
fact, there are many interfaith fami
lies who have chosen to include
themselves within the Jewish com
munity and to affirm the Jewish
faith in their families.
Temple Beth El, the Reform
Jewish congregation in Charlotte,
strongly takes issue with the posi
tion of this cartoon. The interfaith
families within our Jewish commu
nity represent a rich and valuable
resource to all of us. We can offer
numerous examples of such fami
lies who have contributed of their
time, money and commitment to the
Jewish faith and the Jewish com
munity.
If we devote our energy to
welcoming all who wish to be a part
of our Jewish community and who
choose to include themselves in our
midst, we may discover a rich re
source as yet largely untapped. We
invite the larger Jewish community
to join with the Reform community
in doing so, thus strengthening our
entire community.
As a partner in Shalom Park,
Temple Beth El expects the Char
lotte Jewish News to be represen
tative of all elements of the
Charlotte Jewish Community.
Sincerely,
James M. Bennett, Rabbi
Temple Beth El
Mitch Rifkin, President
Temple Beth El
At its August meeting, the
Board of the Federation elected the
following community leaders to
two year terms on the Allocations
Committee; Harriet Aliweiss,
Anita Blumenthal, Bill Gorelick,
Bob Haber, Nancy Kipnis,
Marcia Simon and Mike Van
Glish. Bobbi Bernstein was
elected to fill the remaining year of
a vacant two year term. They join
Shel Goldstein, Stacy Gorelick,
Rich Osborne
Federation President
Mark Lerner, Phyllis Schiffman,
Eric Sklut and Milt Tager who are
serving the second year of their two
year terms. The Board is very
pleased to have such a terrific group
of community- minded leaders
helping to decide how to allocate
the funds raised in the 1995Annual
Campaign. The Committee is
chaired by Sara Schreibman and
I serve as ex-officio
Meanwhile, the 1996 Annual
Campaign is moving toward launch
with Federation/UJA Shabbat on
December 8-9. Brn Gorelick and
Jill Newman have recruited a great
campaign cabinet, including
Phyllis Schiffman, President,
Women’s Division; Bob Speizman,
chair of Major Gifts Division; Todd
Gorelick and David Swimmer, Co
chairs of Chazak Division ($3,600-
$9,999); Alan and Ruth
Goldberg, Nancy Kipnis and Jack
Levinson, Co-chaii^ of Pacesetter
Division; Jon Goldberg, Craig
Katzman, Alison Lerner and
Donna Lerner, Co-chairs of the
$365-$l,249 Division; Andy
Dinkin, Cindy Fox, Mark Lemer
and Alison Levinson, Co-chairs of
Telepledge; and Dan and Stacy
Levinson, Co-chairs of Super Sun
day.
Should these or other cam
paign workers call upon you to help
with the 19% Annual Campaign,
please try to respond. People give
for perceived needs, but they give
to other people. We need your help
if we are to raise the moneys nec
essary to fund the programs and
services that our Jewish community
should and mu§Hiave.
Finally, a word about staffing:
Federation staff is working hard to
assure that staffing changes do not
affect Federation programs. While
we continue to search for a new
full-time Executive Director,
Adrienne Rosenberg, Director of
JFS, has assumed the responsibil
ity of Acting Executive Director
Lou Wemick and Vicki Hopkins
have joined the staff as part-time
support for campaign and Federa
tion services, respectively. We will
miss Audrey Krakovitz and wish
her well in her future endeavors and
are very grateful to Adrienne and
staff for their continued hard work
under tough conditions.
CJN November
Deadline is
October 10
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