5007 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
Address Correction Requested
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Charlotte, NC
Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte
JEWISH
Vol. 19 No. 6
lyar-Sivan- 5757
June-July, 1997
The End of an Era?
Board of Directors Study Feasibility of Selling Blumenthal Jewish Home
By Susan Kramer
35 years ago, Carolina Jewish
elders in need of care had little
choice. They could stay at home
with relatives or go to a facility
that, very often, had no means of
providing a Jewish component to
their daily lives. No kosher food,
no Shabbat services, no Jewish
communal activities. All that
changed when the Carolina
Association for Jewish Women
came to see I. D. Blumenthal and
pointed out the problem.
With his usual can-do spirit, the
noted Jewish philanthropist started
looking for a location and funds to
rectify the lack of a facility for
Jewish elders. He found both and
the North Carolina Jewish Home
for the Aged was bom on the
grounds of the Lassiter estate in
Clemmons, North Carolina. At
that time, the location of the
beautiful estate on the banks of the
Yadkin River was considered
central to the Jewish population of
both North and South Carolina.
For the next 30 years, the home
went about its mission of meeting
the needs of the Jewish elderly of
The Blumenthal Jewish Home in Clemmons, North Carolina
both states. (In July of 1978, the
home was renamed the
Blumenthal Jewish Home in honor
of I.D. Blumenthal.) Now,
although the needs of the Jewish
elderly are just as great, the shift
in population centers and
economic and fmancial concerns
associated with the continually
changing health care environment
has created a dilemma for the
Board of Directors of the
Blumenthal Jewish Home.
According to Audrey Madans,
President of the Board, the very
location has become a
problem. Although the
134-bed nursing facility
is at 92% occupancy,
the Jewish population
of the home is
dwindling and the
Blumenthal Jewish
Home could very well,
in the foreseeable
future, have no Jewish
residents at all. "With
the explosion in the
number of nursing
homes and other
alternative care options
now available in
Charlotte, Raleigh,
Greensboro and other cities
around the two states, families are
choosing to place their loved ones
in facilities closer to home. It's no
longer feasible to have your father
or mother 2 hours away when
homes with Jewish accommo
dations are available right around
the comer."
Moreover, the advent of
managed care and the changes in
the laws governing Medicaid finds
the future of the nursing home
industry in flux. "No one is quite
sure how these changes will
impact the industry in general and
the Blumenthal Jewish Home in
particular," states Madans. For
several years, the Board has
recognized that change was
imminent and necessary. In
February of this year, a committee
was formed to look into possible
solutions that had been proposed
and explored in recent years. In
April, at an Executive Board
meeting, the conmiittee presented
its recommendation; the Board
should look into the feasibility of
selling the home and investing the
proceeds of the sale into a
foundation that would be formed
to continue the mission of the
Audrey Madans, President
of the Blumenthal Jewish
Home Board of Directors
Blumenthal Jewish Home. In May,
at a full Board Retreat, the
recommendation was endorsed by
a unanimous vote.
"But," states Madans emphati
cally, "There is no reason to panic.
The feasibility of selling the
Clemmons facility will take time
to investigate, study and evaluate.
It's likely that there will be no
change in the quality of care or
Jewish ambiance of the
Blumenthal Home. We will be
very careful in choosing who we
will be dealing with — they will
be scmtinized closely to make sure
they meet the requirements and
standards that we have always
maintained at the Home." In fact,
(Continued on page 2)
Like a Maccabee
Charlotte Area Athletes Gear Up
for the 1997 Maccabi Games
Excitement is mounting as
Charlotte prepares to send a cadre
of talented young athletes to the
1997 JCC Maccabi Youth Games
in Sarasota, Florida in August.
According to Steve Coen, co
chair of the Charlotte JCC
Maccabi Youth Games
Committee, 35 youngsters have
been chosen to represent the JCC
in events ranging from basketball
to swimming. "It is an
overwhelming experience,"
comments Coen, who attended
the St. Louis Regional games last
year with the Charlotte athletes.
"It's not just about the
competition, it's about the
camaraderie and Jewish
connections that the athletes
experience."
Indeed, the goal of the JCC
Maccabi Youth Games is to
contribute to the enrichment of
Jewish identity and the
development of democratic
values and leadership, providing a
point of entry into the organi^
Jewish community. The JCC
Maccabi Youth Games are the
most recent offspring of a proud
tradition of Jewish amateur
sports. The Maccabi Movement
was founded in 1895 when the
first all-Jewish sports club was
organized and in 1932 the first
Maccabiah Games were held.
Maccabiah Games have been held
every four years in Israel as a two
week international competition,
and have consistently attracted
the cream of Jewish athletes,
many of whom have achieved
fame in the Olympics, most
notably Mark Spitz and Mitch
Gaylord.
The Maccabi Youth Games has
existed for many years in Israel,
Europe and South America. In
1982, the concept of the Games
was brought to North America
when the JCC of Memphis,
Tennessee hosted the first Games.
The JCC Maccabi Youth
Games have grown in both size
and sophistication since its
Joe
moocobi
youth
games
inception. Every year, 6 to 8 cities
around the US host regional
games with venues in basketball,
swimming, tennis, track and field,
bowling and even ping pong. The
Maccabi Youth Games in
Sarasota will draw young athletes
from across the region with over
400 youth expected to participate.
This is the third year that
Charlotte has sent athletes to the
Junior Maccabi Games. Charlotte
first participated in the Orlando
Regional games in 1995, and last
year sent over 30 athletes to the
Continental Games in St. Louis.
The Charlotte JCC Maccabi
Youth Games Committee lobbied
successfully to host the 1998
Games, and plans are in the works
now to make the August, 1998
event a successful community
(Continued on page 7)
Two Local Athletes to
Compete in 15th World
Maccabiah Games in
Israel
Two local youths have won
spots in the World Maccabiah
Games to be held in Israel in July.
Brett Golembe of Charlotte is one
of 12 athletes selected to play on
the 1997 Junior Maccabi USA
Basketball team, liana Kalvadlo
has been selected to be a member
of the United States open swim
team, her second Maccabiah
Games in 4 years. The Games are
held every 4 years in Israel and
are recognized by the Inter
national Olympic Committee.
The Maccabiah is not only
about athletics. It is also a cultural
and educational experience, with
athletes having the opportunity to
tour historic sites in Israel,
participate in seminars, and
experience the culture of the
people. More than 5,600 Jewish
athletes from over 50 countries
are expected to participate in the
15th Maccabiafi in July.
Brett, son of Trish and Barry
Golembe, traveled with his father
Inside tim hsm...
A Conversatton wtth Martin Goldbei^
The Executive Director of the JFGC refUtHs
on his ftrttyear in Charlotte
His Heart kda/ei for the Q^dren
An AmerkiM Ikvze pkutts treet m Ismei in memory of isra^
schoolgiris murdered im Nakarayim
Seeing Shamot hi a New Ligbt
Daily applications of the Ten Commandments
page 7
page 17
Also inside ...
Point of View
.. page
2
Speizman Library
.. page
8
Jewish Family Services
.. page
9
Temple Beth El
. • page
14
Temple Israel
.. page
15
Lubavitch of North Carolina .
.. page
16
CAJE
.. page
17
The Jewish Traveler
..page
18
Dining Oiit
. page
22
Brett Golembe
liana Kalvadlo
to New Jersey in March for
tryouts, which were also held in
Los Angeles and Chicago. Of
approximately 150 athletes trying
out, 12 were selected for the team.
Brett began his basketball
career at the JCC 10 years ago
when he w.is 6 years old. Since
then he has also played on
teams for SouthPark t.cague.
Providence Day Sch^ml, Summer
I cneuc and AAU. summer
I nn.'ju* fh-^e ^ ‘