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The Charlotte Jewish News - March, 1998 - Page 2 The North CaroHna - Israel Partnership’s Second Annual Student Trip to Israel My Voice By Susan Kramer Dear Friends, I always wait until the last moment to write my column, but this month. I’ve taken it to a new extreme. I am literally only hours away from delivering the paper to the printer, and I am fmally sitting down at the computer. There’s no mystery why I’ve delayed so long — quite simply, I hate goodbyes. I have shared with you over the last months some of the struggles my family and I are dealing with as I battle cancer. Most recently, I told you of a new treatment I was exploring. The good news, of course, is that I am working hard on getting better, and have great expectations of beating this thing. The bad news is that the course of treatment that I have chosen is very rigorous and demanding — and I guess I’m not super woman, after all. After much soul searching, I have come to the realization that right now, all of my attention must focus on doing what I must do to get well. Any time or residual strength must be spent on my fam ily. Unfortunately, that leaves me with not enough time or energy to do justice to editing the Charlotte Jewish News. With great regret, I have tendered my resignation to (Continued from page 1) guage and Israelis are not neces sarily fluent in English; therefore readings had to be tailored to the needs of the two communities. Flexibility and understanding have become two important fac tors in the development of this program. Two demonstration classes have already been held with outstanding results. Professor Meyers stated that “Both [confer ences] were real successes. With the film footage we have we can bring groups literally to the Galilee to visit some of the most important sites for a richer under standing of the religious and cul tural legacy of Judaism and Christianity in the land of Israel.” Professors and experts from both America and Israel have been the Board, effective March 1. I take this step very reluctantly. This has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, the sheer excitement of seeing the paper come together each month have given me an incredible amount of pleasure. But I also must be fair to the paper, the Editorial Board and the Jewish community. My hope, of course, is that someday I’ll ^ able to con tribute again in some way, but to get to there, I have to take care of here. I sincerely appreciate the under standing and concern that Marvin Goldberg. and the Board have shown as I struggled with this decision. They have, as always, been a major source of support. It certainly helps to know that I will be leaving the paper in good hands. The Editorial Board has appointed Board Member Suzanne Cannon as Interim Editor as they begin their search for a permanent replacement. Suzanne is already at work, learning the ins and outs of putting together a newspaper, and I know she will do a superb job. I’ve done a lot of reading in the last few months. Early on, I found a poem that spoke to my heart. As coordinating the production of this program. Professor Meyers has been excavating in Israel for 35 years and supervised the video shooting of more than 20 ancient sites in Israel this past summer to be used as part of the course. Recently, Professor Meyers co curated the exhibit “Sepphoris in Galilee” at the N.C. Museum of Art. Dr. Zeev Safrai, Professor Meyer’s counterpart at Bar Ilan University, is also renowned in his field. E)r. Safirai is an expert on the economy of Roman Palestine in addition to being a Talmudic scholar. Faculty from Bar Ilan’s satellite campus, Jordan Valley College, have ^so been working hard on the development of the course. a parting gift, I’d like to share it with all of you. It was said to have been written by an American Confederate soldier seriously dis abled in the Civil war: / asked God for strength, that I might achieve, I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do great things, I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy, I was given poverty, that I might be wise. / asked for power, that I might have the praise of men, I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life, I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. / got nothing that / asked far— but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered I am, among all men, mast rich ly blessed Shalom, Currently there is a grant p»end- ing with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources for the expansion of this project. NCIP wants to organize the course content so that it can be made available to faculty at the numer ous universities and colleges across the state. In addition, the course has the potential to be adopted by the staff at various Noilh Carolina museums, as well as libraries and other institutions. The potential impact of this pro ject is immeasurable and extends well into the 21st century. If you have any questions or want any additional information about the program, please call the NCIP at 919-489-0676. O Lenore Behar The North Carolina-Israel Partnership is once again sponsor ing a trip to Israel for high school students, ages 15 and 16. The trip, which will focus on the 50th Anniversary of Israel, is scheduled for July 1- July 16. To celebrate the founding of Israel 50 years ago, the students will visit historic sites, meet with people who were involved in the establishment of the State of Israel and participate in seminars with Israeli students to discuss history, culture and life today in Israel. They will also visit the traditional sites such as the Dead Sea, Masada, the Old City in Jerusalem, archeological sites in the Upper Galilee, a kibbutz and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. As was done last year, the stu dents will stay in Rehovot in the homes of host families who have teens of similar ages. Rehovot is a very beautiful city south of Tel Aviv and is the home of the Weizmann Institute, a major research/industrial park and small businesses. The Municipality of Rehovot takes pride in hosting teen groups from Grenoble and Heidelberg and last year, offered a stimulating experience for 14 stu dents from Durham, Chapel Hill and Greensboro. Annie Zipper was one of the teens who took the trip, and she says: By Naomi Segal JERUSALEM (JTA) - Reform and Conservative movement lead ers are denouncing the Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s rejection of a key component of a compromise proposal aimed at resolving the controversial issue of conversions in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate “declared war on the Reform and Conservative movements,” the heads of those movements in Israel said in a joint statement in February. Rabbi Uri Regev and Rabbi Ehud Bandel, the Reform and Conservative representatives of the committee that had worked seven months to hammer out a proposal, said that in taking this step, “the Chief Rabbinate endan gers splitting the Jewish people.” The strong words came after Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council rejected the creation of a conver sion-training institute in which non-Orthodox rabbis wotdd par ticipate. The institute, which would be overseen by the Jewish Agency for Israel, was a key com ponent of the compromise propos al reached by the Ne’eman CommittM in Jacoary. The proposal also included a proviHioo that all conversions in Lsraei would continue to be per- fcrrr.cd cn!y by Orthodox offi “I encourage anyone interested in learning about Israel, its people, and its history to take this trip. You will experience Israel from a tourist’s perspective, but also with a host family, and with Israeli peers your own age. My host fam ily provided me with an inside look at Rehovot and Israeli life, something you cannot experience traveling on your own. I look for ward to returning to Israel in the future.” Last September, following the trip. Professor Ephraim Katzir who was the 4th President of Israel, came to North Carolina and presented awards to the 14 stu dents for being North Carolina- Israel Ambassadors of Understanding. The chaperones from last year, Dana Dubester and Andre Webb, have enthusiastically agreed to go again this year. The cost of the trip, including air fare from North Carolina, will at most be $1,900. Last year, the cost of the trip was reduced several hundred dollars by foundation grants. The North Carolina-Israel Partnership will seek similar sup port this year. For more informa tion, call Lenore Behar at 489- 1888 (home) or 733-0598 (office in Raleigh) or Merritt Mulman at 489-0676. « The Rabbinic Council restricted its discussion to the Ne’eman Committee’s recommendation the conversions be conducted in Israel in accordance with halachah, Jewish religious law. It was not immediately clear what impact the decision would have on efforts to reach a compro mise on the conversion issue. The Ne’eman Committee, chaired by Israel’s finance minister, Ya’acov Ne’eman, had been meeting since last year in an effort to achieve a compromise acceptable to all of Judaism’s religious streams. The religious parties in the Knesset are now likely to press for resumption of legislative action on a bill that would set into law the Orthodox establishment’s sole authority over conversions in Israel. The bill already passed the first of three legislative hurdles last year. At the same time, howevn, a majority of Knes^t members recently said they would oppose such legislation. And court cases brought by the Refomi and Conservative move ments, which are seeking recogni tion of their authority in Israel, are now likely to move ahead after being put on hold while a compro mise w«5 sought. O The Charlotte Jewish News 5007 Providence Road - Charlotte, NC 28226 Office Hours Tuesdays 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Thursdays 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Phone (voice mail atler office hours) Office 366-5007 ext 268 FAX 704-365-4507 A Publication of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte Marvin Goldberg, Executive Director Suzanne Cannon, Interim Editor Advertising Coonfimlor: Rttt Mond, 366-6632 AdverMng Saiss Rsp: Shari Wsmsn, MI-1874 CJN E»cuttve Board CoOtaire - Bob Abel • Bob Davis lytombeis; Evslyn Berger, Suzanne Cannon, Ann Langnftan, Linda Levy, Or. Sehvyn Spangentha) Th« CJN dOM not usum* raaponaHlty lor tw qiMl% or kMiuti of any pfoduct or s«rvio« mtvmrmta PuUMUng of a paid poMcai a&nmHttmm* doM not oormume an andoraament of ar*v eandUate. potMctl party or poailion by thia nawipapaf. tha Fadara6on or any amployaaa. Layout Design t>y Erin H. Broniiar montttty azcapt Juty Co^ dMdlkfS is 9>« 1st of tfie month prMsdlng month of Issus Professional Ads Available and Affordable Have you thought about how hiuch the Charlotte Jewish community is changing? How many new clients or patients know who you are? Even if you have an established business or (Mactice, you may be missing customers if they don’t know about you. Consider an ad in the CJN Professional listings. Call advotising represen tative Shari Naman at 841-1674. There is no vessel which holds blessedness more securely than peace. Tdmud Yerushalml Berakhot The North Carolina - Israel Partnership Rabbis’ rejection of proposal seen as a ^declaration of war’
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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