5007 Providence Road
Chariotte, NC 28226
Address Correction Requested
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Charlotte. NC
Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte
JEWISH
Vol. 20 No. 6
Sivan - Tammuz, 5758
June/July, 1998
L’Chaim Charlotte ’98 attracts record attendance
Nearly 5,000 attendees enjoy a celebration of Jewish heritage, culture and faith
Sunny skies and 90 degree tem
peratures prevailed for the second
annual L’Chaim Charlotte Jewish
festival, which drew more than
4,500 people to Shalom Park to
celebrate and explore Jewish her
itage, culture and faith.
“The response was overwhelm
ing in terms of turnout, enthusiasm
and positive comments during and
after/’ said Honorary Co-chair
Bobbi Bernstein. “We were thrilled
with the results and ccmtinue to
hear great feedback about the
event”
The festival was presented by the
Jewish Community Relations
Committee of the Jewish
^''ederation of Greater Charlotte as
an outreach and community build
ing project, and as part of the 50th
anniversary celebration of the
founding of Israel.
Building on the success of the
first festival held in October, 1996,
the celebration included an exhibi
tion of photogn^)hs taken in Israel
by local residents; a mock Western
Wall on which participants were
able to leave messages; 23 educa
tional exhibits and activities; ten
Jewish artisans displaying a variety
of Judaica and fine art; seven dif
ferent food vendOTs; main stage
entertainment; and a children’s
play area.
V
'' '«l
I
Festival-goers read notes posted on a mock Western Wall. The notes will be
hand-delivered to the real Western Wall in Israel later this year.
Brightly colored tents stretched
across all of the parking lots in
front of the JCC’s main entrance,
and an eclectic mix of Jewish
music set the ambiance for the
day’s celebration, providing every
thing fipom rousing klezmer tunes
to c^dren’s choirs. Festival-goers
wandered from booth to booth,
pausing to sample ethnic foods
such as falafel, knishes and noodle
puddings. In front of the stage cir
cles of people swirled and capped
as they learned Israeli folk dancing.
Tours of each Temple attracted
laige crowds tMimming with ques
tions about Judaism. The educa
tional theme was prevalent
throughout. Volunteers manned
organizational booths where festi-
val-goers were able to make
tzedakah boxes, write their names
in Hebrew and sample homemade
gelfilte fish.
Event organizers were pleased
with the turnout. “Our goal was
simply to bring Jews and non-Jews
together to celebrate and learn
more about Jewish culture and her
itage,” said Adam Bernstein,
L’Chaim Steering Conmiittee
Chair. “We feel that this goal wa!
accomplished and hope that this
continues to be an annual event that
the Jewish conununity can be
proud of.”
SheIt(Hi Gorelick, Honorary Co-
chair with Bobbi Bernstein, echoed
this sentiment. “This year we took
Attendees leam the fine art of Israeli folk dancing with Ruthie Slann.
a quantum le^q) forward and have
established a strong foundation for
the festival’s future.”
Lead underwriter for this year’s
festival was WMF Capital Corp.,
followed by Bank of Mecklenburg.
Festival sponsors included Remax
Results, Party Reflections, Montag
Management, Beck Imports and
Lions & Tigers & Bears Children’s
Boutique. Temple Beth El, Temple
Israel, the Jewish Community
Center and the Foundation of
Shalom Park also provided finan
cial support.
Many, many thanks to all who
volunteered for this year’s effort.
Special thanks to the following
“worker bees” who worked tire
lessly to make the day such a huge
success:
Adam Bernstein, Wendy Rosen,
Susan Hennes, Andrew Bernstein,
Yossi Shem Avi, Debby
Rosenberger, Maddie Joffe, Peter
Hindel, Terri Cathcart, Alan
Gottheim, Audrey Weil, Guy
Pearlman, Maria Lieberman, Amy
Wein, Roberta Rodgers and
Kathleen Kennedy.
Plans are alres^y underway for
the ’99 festival. For more informa
tion contact Cary Bernstein, 366-
5007, ext. 209. «
More VChaim Charlotte photos
on pt^e 4.
NC Hillel announces Ad”n Bernstein selec^ to represent
^ 1 • Federation in Leadership Charlotte’s
Capital Campaign 1998-99 class
A $2.2 tniUion campaign wUl pro
vide funding for new faeUity on
UNC-CH campus; Jewish stu
dents at other NC campuses
expected to benefit as well
In a giant step forward for North
Carolina Jewish student life in the
21st century. North Carolina Hillel
has launched a $2.2 million
fundraising campaign to build,
endow, and operate a brand new,
attractive, inviting, and up-to-date
facility on the site of the present
building on Cameron Avenue in
Chapel Hill.
The campaign was officially
launched at a January 28 dinner in
Durham at which both Mr. Edgar
Bronfman, Chair of Hillel’s
International Board of Governors,
and Richard Joel, International
President of Hillel, spoke. Mr.
Leonard Kaplan (U^ Class of
1949) of Gr^sboro will chair the
capital campaign committee.
Program^s mission is to cultivate and enhance
volunteer community leadership
By Suzanne Cannon
NC Hillel is the center of Jewish
life for the 750 Jewish students at
Carolina, and the Chapel Hill head
quarters also soA^es as a base for
coordinating statewide programs
for Jewish students across North
Carolina. Jewish students at other
campuses are therefore expected to
benefit from a new and improved
Chapel Hill facility as well.
“NC Hillel’s present facility in
Chapel Hill was built in 1951 and
has served generations of Jewish
students well,” said Joyce Shuman
(Continued on page 3)
His name is certainly familiar,
and so is his face. Over the past
eighteen months, you’ve probably
seen him frequenting the halls and
board rooms of the JCC as he
helped orchestrate this year’s very
successful L’Chaim Charlotte
Festival. You’ve also probably
benefited from his tireless woit as
chairperson of the Jewish
Community Relations Committee,
which functions as the public rela
tions arm of the Jewish Federation.
Adam Bernstein is a man who
gets things done. Everyone who
knows him would agree, including
Bill Gorelick, President of the
Jewish Federation of Greater
Charlotte, who annonced that
Bernstein has been selected as the
Federation’s representative to this
year’s Leadership Charlotte pro
gram. “Adam is the ideal candi
date for this program,” says
Gorelick. “He is a very talent^
individual who, in his quiet man
ner, sends a strong message. We’re
very fortunate to have Adam
actively involved in our Jewish
community.” Adds Marvin
Goldberg, Federation Executive
Director, “Adam is an outstanding
leader in our community, and as
one of the primary archit^ts of this
year’s extremely successful
L’Chaim Charlotte Festival, he cer
tainly deserves to be recognized.”
Leadership Charlotte’s mission
is to develop and enhance volun
teer community leadership. The
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■ ■■ ^— - - ■
Also inside...
Jewish Family Services
...page
7
Temple Beth El
...page
8
Temple Israel
...page
9
Youth Visions
...page
11
Lubavitt;h North Carolina ..
...page
10
Speiznian Jewish Library
...page
15
CAJB
...page
16
Jewish Cofnmuntty Center . .
. ..pages
18-19
The Jewkh TVsvpW
21
Dining Dot ...
...pages
22-23
Adam Bernstein
ten month curriculum, which runs
from August through May, pro
vides a diverse group of emerging
and existing leaders with the
opportunity to increase their com
munity knowledge, civic network
ing and service to the community.
According to Heidi Campbell-
Robinson, Leadership Charlotte’s
Executive Director, “llie goal is to
help participants become acquaint
ed with the non-profit community,
as well as to expose them to the
major issues impacting Charlotte
today.” To accomplish this in ten
nnonths, participants are required to
anend an introductory orientation,
» weekend retreat, and daylong
monthly programs that explore
issues of community importimce.
“After nearly a year's worth of
conversations 00 how to effect
change in the Chariotte communi
t>,' says C arrspfsci; K.*inson. "oui
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