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The Charlotte Jewish News > April 1999 - Page 2 Point of View I'.aili issue of (he (M\ fvafiires :ni iirtiele written l)> one oJ'three r;il)l)is aetijke in the ( luiriotte ('oniinunitN. This Month: Kahbi Jim Heniutt of renipk* Beth Ki In My Opinion... By Amy Krakovitz Montoni I don’t know who is driving me more crazy, my mother or my sis ter. It’s this impending Bar Mitzvah. They seem to forget who is the mother of the Bar Mitzvah boy (it’s me, by the way, not either one of them). It’s not that I don’t appreciate their help, but they can turn a stone cold sane person into a rav ing lunatic in just a matter of min utes. It started with my sister over a year ago. Who is getting which aliyot at the ceremony? she want ed to know. I didn’t know way back then; frankly, I still don’t know who will get each and every honor just yet. But she nagged me mercilessly for months to give her the list of aliyot and the name of the relative assigned to each. I fmally figured out that she was concerned about her own aliyah, and assured her that she would be getting one and told her what it was. I was being far too simplis tic. That was not her ulterior motive. She is still nagging me about the list. “I don’t want you to forget anybody,” she says. “I don’t want you to hurt anyone’s feel ings.” My mother, believe it or not, started on me much later, just within the last few months. For some reason the hotel for the out of town guests is hanging her up. For weeks, she’s been asking me abo«Jt the information on the hotels. She isn’t even staying at the hotel, but she couldn’t leave me ^lone about it. When I fmally did get all the information on paper, she wanted to know when everyone would get it. “I’m going to i3ut these forms into the envelopes with their invitations,” I told her (it was far too early to send invitations). “Is the name of the hotel on it?” she asked. Now, really, did she honestly think I would send hotel rese»n'ation information without the raame of the hotel? (Continued on page 29) A Study of the Ethnic and Racial Diversity of the Jewish Population Are you Jewish and African- American, Latino, Asian- American, Native American or mixed race? Are you a Jew of Sephardi or Mizrahi descent? Are you raising a child of color as a Jew? The Institute for Jewish and Community Research is conduct ing a national study on the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the Jewish community in the United States. The study is funded in part by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research, the Righteous Persofls Foundation, the Geffen Foundation, the Auerbach Foundation and a num ber of other foundations interested in Jewish life. The study will consist of a mail survey and personal interviews with individuals and families who are African-American, Latino, Asian-American, Native American, Sephardic, or mixed race and Jewish or who are white and raising their mixed race chil dren as Jews. The results of the study will be presented at a con ference to be held next year. The ultimate goal of the research is to bettea* understand the issues and enable Jewish communal organi- zatioais to create local and nation al support groups and chavurot for Jews of color. TTie first step of the project invol -ves identifying individuals of different racial, ethnic and cultural backsroiinds who are Jewish. If you are interested in participating in tlris study, or know someone who might be, please contact the Institute of Jewish and Community Research at (415) 386-^710 or e-mail to Diane@JewishResearch.org. A Tapestry of Jewish Thought North Carolina B^nai B^rith 51st Annual Institute of Judaism Wildacres will be the site of this year’s Institute of Judaism, spon sored by North Carolina B’nai B’rith. “If you’ve never attended before,” says Institute Chair Norman Pliner, “you might like to experience Wildacres.” The dates are August 16-19, 1999, but spaces fill quickly. It is highly recommended that reserva tions be made as soon as possible, as this institute always sells out. This year’s lecture topics include: 0 Dr. Gregory Mahler cover ing: l)”Israeli Constitutional Evolution and Israeli Politics”; 2) “The Israeli Electoral Process and Israeli Democracy”; and 3) “The ‘Radical Right’ in Israel: Are Democracy and Orthodoxy Compatible?” Myma Goldberger will dis cuss “American Jews - Known and Unknown - Who Made a Difference” at these three semi nars: 1) “American Jews - 18th and 19th Century: Who Made a Difference”; 2) “American Jews - 20th Century: Who Made a Difference”; and 3) “Not-So-Well- Known American Jews Who Made a Difference.” O Thomas Friedman on “When the Laughter Stops: A Sober Look at the Content of Jewish Jokes” - I) “How Jokes Work - Variations and Versions”; 2) “Jews and Gentiles - Issues of Identity”; and 3) “Jews and Jews - Issues of Authenticity Within the Jewish Community.” Also featured will be entertainer Tanya Solnik, a past performer at The Charlotte Jewish News 5007 Providence Road - Charlotte, NC 28226 Office Hours Monday-Friday. 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Phone (voice man alter office tnxjrs) Office 944-6765 FAX 704 365-4507 email: montoni@worldnetattnet A Publication of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte Marvin Goidt)erg-Executive Director Amy Krakovitz Montoni-Editor Dana Gottheim-Youth Page Editor Advertising Coordinator/Saies Rep: Rita Mood, 366-6632 Advertising Sales Rep: Pam Grossman, 841-1544 CJN Executive Board Co-Chairs • Bob Abel - Bob Davis Members: Evelyn Berger, Ann Langman, Lmda Levy The CJN does not assuTte responsibf'tty for ttie qua’ity or kasnith o( any product or sev*ce advertised Pubt-sfvng c4 a paid po»i*tcal adveft!sefr?ent does r»t coostrtute an •rxlorsement ct any candidate, potiticat party or position by this newspaper, the Federation or any emptoyees Layout Design by Erin H. Bronluw’ Published monthly sxccpt July Copy deadlir>e is the 1st of the month preceding month of issue Wildacres who is being brought back due to popular demand. An artist that displays a brilliant vari ety o f nnusical styles, including popul.ar standards, jazz, rock and roll, (country and western, and her passionate renditions of Jewish art and fiolk songs, Tanya has per- formel in nightclubs, on stage and on te levision. Don’t miss this inspiring presentation. Reservation fee is $240.00 per persora, double occupancy (single supplement, add $85.00). All reservations will be made on a first-come first-serve basis. Con tact Hilda and Herbert Learner for an application to the B’nai S’rith Institute of Judaism, August 16-19, 1999, at Wildacres. The Learners can be contacted by writing to 100 Artillery Lane, RaleigBi, MC 27615, or by phone, (919)847-8842. « The Joy of Jewish Living Let’s all rediscover the joy of Jewish living. We Jews are so good at recalling the difficult tiires. Just take a good look at our festival year. At Sukkot, we remember the fragility of human life, recalling the years of wandering in the desert, dwelling in sukkot, temporary shelters. At Chanukah we remember the struggle of the Maccabees against the Assyrians, who tried to take away our religious liberties. At Purim we vow to blot out the name of Haman, who sought the destruction of the Jewish people. At Pesach, we retell the story of the way Pharoah enslaved us and oppressed us. This month, with Yom Ha’Shoah and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, so many Jews will reverent ly recall the martyrs of the Holocaust and the evil of those who again sought to annihilate us, and then we will turn and remind our selves that “out of the ashes of the Holocaust comes the State of Israel.” When I was growing up, that is how we were taught. “Kasheh M’od Li’hiyot Yehudi,” we were told again and again, “It is very difficult to be a Jew.” We were shown that the story of the Jewish people is one of our constant victory over evil. Our very existence, it was made clear, is a miracle, evidence of our chosenness. Despite those who hate us, we must survive as Jews, we were reminded. Jewish survival. Jewish continuity. These, we were told, are the only things that matter. TTiere is so much more to our Jewish experience. The history of the Jewish people has not been merely the story of the threats to our existence. Our raison d’etre is not just to survive. Our purpose is to flourish, to rejoice, to fill the world with the joy of our Jewish living, and to use that joy to bring light to the world. Being Jewish is a joyful, meaningful way of life. Nearly all of our holidays can also be seen through this prism. Sukkot celebrates the remarkable bounty of the harvest; Chanukah tells us to rejoice at the idea of freedom; Purim teaches us to laugh and smile and celebrate, especially in light of evil’s presence in the world; Passover is about new beginnings and rebirth; and Yom Ha’Atzmaut can be about Jewish self-determination and the joy of Jewish living, the miracle of the state of Israel. Jewish children today need to be taught that being Jewish is about creativity, joy, excitement and meaning, not about survival and isolationism. Judaism needs to be infused with the spirit of Jewish living, not the fear and guilt of Jewish survival and conti nuity. If Judaism is rich and joyous and real enough, it will survive, and our people will continue. Our job is to fill our Jewish lives with smiles, laughter, joy and celebration. ^ A NOTE TO THE COMMUNITY Thank you, one and all, for your contributions in memory of my beloved brother Leonard. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. Mae Goldman Hebrew Cemetery Hours Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sunday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Closed Saturdays Article deadline for May issue is April 1. I A/ould like to make a contribution to demonstrate my sup port of The Charlotte Jewish News. Name Phone ( ) Address Ci^ State Enclosed in my check for $ .Zip $18.00 Basic Annual Subscription $25.00 Friend $50.00 Patron $100.00 Grand Patron Other Mail to: The Charlotte JewHsh News Voluntary Subscription Appeal 5007 Providence Road Charlotte. Nc 28226
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 1, 1999, edition 1
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