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Permit No. 1208
The Charlotte
JEWISH
I Vol. 21 No.T
Tishrei-Cheshvan 5760
October 1999
First Annual Jewish Community
Cultural Arts Festival is Here!
Festival Hotline: 944-6710
If the last Jewish book you read
was Chaim Potok’s classic “The
Chosen,” then folks, in the words
of Joan Rivers, “we need to talk.”
This November and spilling into
December, Charlotte is launching
its first annual Jewish Community
Cultural Arts Festival. With over 50
exciting events, (most are free, a
small number require tickets) rang
ing from nationally-acclaimed
book authors, award winning films,
lectures by respected professors
and clergy, exquisite gallery show
ings, a Jewish Book Fair, a Jewish
Food Festival, fabulous photogra
phy exhibits, interactive work
shops, and so much more.
“It’s an opportunity for the
entire Jewish community and
beyond, to learn, taste smell, dis
cover, identify and explore Jewish
culture and heritage,” according to
Jodi Valenstein, JCCAF Festival
Chair.
Ellen Bache
Sponsors of the Festival are
BBYO, Charlotte Jewish Day
School, Charlotte Jewish Preschool,
Consolidated High School, The
Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah,
Jewish Federation of Greater
Charlotte, Jewish Conmiunity
Center, Jewish Preschool on Sardis,
Lubavitch of North Carolina,
Temple Beth El, Temple Israel,
Women’s American ORT and the
Yiddish Institute.
“The response from our commu
nity organizations exemplifies the
commitment we all feel towards
building a strong and vibrant com
munity for our children,” says
Rabbi Murray Ezring of Ten^le
Israel.
“Being Jewish means having
arts, literature and culture flowing
through your body,” says Rabbi
James Bennett of Temple Beth El.
“The idea that we, as a community
can and will invite each other and
our non-Jewish friends and neigh
bors is a wonderful step forward
fOT all of u£ here in Charlotte.
Temple Beth El is proud to be a
sponsor of the festival and we look
forward to this series of programs
growing e^h year... this is just the Harry Swimmer and Hal
beginning. Levinson, co-chairmen of the
Festival highlights include pre- Campaign to Expand and Endow
sentauons by authors andn^onal- slalom Park announced that the
^!3eTteeT.;;^e The Harry and Jeanneue Weinberg
ayiu ucu i-i Poundation has gena-ously con-
mf” nT tributedSI.5 million in a raiching
Rebbetzin Esther Jungnes. Marcus f
Rosenbaum, who difcovered his ^ft pogram for the Shalom Park
The gift, which requires match
ing gifts by new donors from the
Charlotte community, is intended
to enhance the endowment portion
of the Foundation campaign. The
Campaign’s objective is that $8-
$10 million of the $28 million
goal will fund an endowment that
will help to underwrite the costs of
operating the more than 180,000
square foot complex that, when
complete, will house many of the
institutions that comprise the
organized Charlotte Jewish com
munity.
Established in 1959 by the late
grandmother’s diary, will shed Harry and Jeanette Weinberg and
some light on what it meant to be a headquartered in Baltimore,
voung Jewish woman crowing up Maryland. The Harry and Jeanette
in the South in the first half of the Weinberg Foundation, Inc. is one
20th century and other guest speak- of the 25 largest private founda-
ers will appear daily (see Calendar tions in the Unit(^ States. With
of Events on pages 16 and 17). primary interest in the aged,
Women’s American ORT will be homeless and other disadvantaged
sponsoring an evening with Ellyn
Bache, the author of The Activist’s
Daughter, Safe Passage, and other
works of fiction and non-fictiofi.
Plan to meet with Bache on
November 4 at 7:30 PM in
Gorelick Hall.
Bache’s first work of fiction,
Safe Passage, was made into a film
starring Susan Sarandon and Sam
Shepard. Her second novel,
Festival in Fire Season, which is
set in Wilmington, was a Literary
Guild “Editor’s Comer” selection.
Her most recent novel, The
Activist’s Daughter, is about a
Jewish girl from D.C. who tries to
escape her activitist mother by
going to college at UNC-Chapel
Hill during the early days of the
civil rights movement in 1963.
Bache’s collection of short “The
Value of Kindness,” won the Willa
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg
Foundation Provides $1.5 Million Gift to
the Shalom Park Expansion and
Endowment Campaign
groups. The Harry and Jeanette
WeinbCTg Foundation distributes
in excess of $58 million dollars
annually, to a myriad of indepen
dent human service and religious
groups throughout the world.
Co-chairman Levinson was
pleased to welcome the Weinberg
Foundation, as a partner in build
ing one of North America’s most
dynamic Jewish communities,
here in Charlotte. Levinson said,
“We are quite gratified to be
selected to become part of the
Weinberg Foundation family.
Being chosen by them indicates
their willingness to invest in us.
This constitutes a level of national
recognition that validates not only
our physical growth, but also our
commitment to consciously create
meaningful expressions of Jewish
life in our community. We sincere
ly appreciate the Weinberg
Foundation’s confidence and sup
port.”
The partnership of the Weinberg
Foundation and Shalom Park will
be inscribed in perpetuity, as the
Jewish Community Center’s new
facilities for Older Adults will
carry the name of The Harry and
Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
These facilities will house an
older adult lounge, large program
spaces for seniors, a variety of
activity rooms and a secure facili
ty dedicated to providing an older
adult day care program for those
with dementia and/or early stages
of Alzheimer’s Disease. Jewish
Community Center President,
Scott Menaker adds that, “With all
of these facilities and direct access
to a new Jewish library and multi-
media center, a kitchenette, com
fortable accessories and the avail
ability of an outdoor courtyard,
the Jewish Community Center
will offer older adults both a warm
and welcoming environment and a
comprehensive array of program
services.”
Co-chairman Swimmer not only
expressed his appreciation to tl^
Weinberg Foundation, but also
reminded the community that the
Weinberg Foundation gift is a
challenge to us all. “The Harry
and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
has really given a tremendous
boost to our campaign. In order to
benefit fully from the Weinberg
Foundation gift, we need new
(Continued on page 19)
College Students: The Trip is Free; the
Experience is Priceless
IVs Israel Ws Fun. Ws a Gift
(Continued on page 19)
See special pull out
calendar in center of
this month’s
Charlotte Jewish News!
JCC Gala is postponed.
See related story on page 8
Birthright Israel - a partnership
among prominent Jewish philan
thropists, Jewish communities,
and the citizens of Israel through
their government - is committed to
the principle that a trip to Israel is
the birthright of evCTy Jew.
Israel2000 is a chance for college
students to visit Israel for free.
The winter break trip is offered
to Jewish college students who
have never been to Israel on an
organized group trip.
Participants will travel with
othCT students from their campus
for ten days on the largest college
trip in history. During the pro
gram, the students w^l:
• Explore the ancient city of
Jerusalem.'
• Hike through the Galilee region.
• Check out nightlife in Tel Aviv.
• Swim in the Dead Sea.
• Scale the heights of Masada.
• Attend a rock concert.
• Enjoy free time with friends.
• Meet w’ith Israeli students, and
business and political leaders.
• Learn about Israel and your
Jewish identity.
The trip includes airfare from a
designated El A1 gateway city -
Los Angeles, Chicago, New York,
Miami or Baltimore - accommo
dations at quality guest houses and
hotels, as well as most meals. A
$250 deposit, fully refundable
upon completion of the program,
will be required.
What’s the catch? None at all.
Birthright Israel, the Charlotte
Jewish community and Hillel are
offering this gift because they
believe that a trip to Israel is.your
birthright.
For more information, visit
www.israel2000.org or the Hillel
office on your campus. Apply
online at the website and you will
be contacted to complete the
process.
Birthright Israel was created by
Charles Bronfman and Michael
Steinhardt. The program is now
entering its third year and is hop
ing to expand to many communi
ties through Federation offices and
Hillel facilities on college cam
puses. Currently the Hillels at both
University of North Carolina and
Duke University are involved in
sending students to Israel through
Birthright Israel.
Any students interested in par
ticipating in the program for the
upcoming winter break or at any
time in the funue are encouraged
to contact Birthright Israe\ or the
office of the Jewish Fedo-ation of
Greater Charlotte, 944-6760. O
ismm...
Xip. 15*lo
Federation Pages page 4
CAJE page 10
Speizman Jewish Library page 11
Youth Visions page 12
Lubavitch of North Carolina page 13
Temple Beth El page 14
The Jewish Traveler page 20
Women’s Events page 21
Mazel Tov pages 22-23
Temple Israel page 24
Jewish Family Services .. page 25
Jewish Community Center .... p?ges 26-77
Dining Ojt pages 28-^0
Campaign Reaches
$22 Million Mark!
See Page 5