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The Chariotte
JE>VISH
Vol. 22 No. 1
Tevet-Shevat 5760
January 2000
“Step into the Limelight” with Comedian Rita Rudner on February 12, 2000
1990 American Comedy Award
recipient, Rita Rudner will “Step
into the Limelight” on February
12, 2000 for the Jewish
Federation’s second annual gala
fundraiser.
Ms. Rudner is currently starring
in A Weekend in the Country, an
independent feature co-written
with her husband. The film is a
romantic comedy starring Rudner,
Jack Lemmon, Christine Lahti,
Richard Lewis and Faith Ford.
Her second HBO special entitled
“Rita Rudner: Married Without
Children,” premiered in June of
1995 to rave reviews. She has
made regular appearances on the
“Tonight Show,” “Late Night with
David Letterman,” and “Comic
Relief.” Ms. Rudner has also writ
ten two books. Her first book,
Naked Beneath My Clothes, pub
lished by Viking Penguin, quickly
became a bestseller. Her most
recent, Rita Rudner’s Guide to
Men, came out last May and
contains 202 tips about who
men are, how they think, and
who they think they are.
The Gala, which will be held
at the Marriott City Center will
feature a cocktail reception,
open bar, four course dinner,
lavish dessert reception, come
dy with Ms. Rudner and danc
ing with the band “Liquid
Pleasure.”
Again this year, guests will be
given the opportunity to hear
about how funds from the
Annual Community Campaign
impact the lives of Jews here in
Charlotte and around the world.
“Step into the Limelight” will
also focus the “limelight” on the
outstanding work of the
Federation’s recipient agencies.
“This evening will be a true cel
ebration of our community, both
here in Charlotte and abroad,”
said Sara Schreibman, who
Comic Rita Rudner
chairs the event. “We are
looking forward to highlight
ing the work that is done by
both our constituent agencies
here in Charlotte and those
that help Jews in need in Israel
and the Former Soviet
Union.”
Meg Goldstein, 2000
Annual Campaign Chair, will
present the “case for giving”
to the 2000 Campaign and is
anticipating another strong
show of support for the
Federation. “We were thrilled
with the results from last
year’s fundraiser. There were
over 477 people in attendance
and we raised $258,000. Of
this amount, $72,000 were
new dollars.”
Again this year the event
will reach out to the newcom
ers in the community to
include them for the evening.
“We have asked each of our
„jEWESHi
IfeDER/fflaSI
Of GfeEATER Charlotte
Table Captains to recruit at least
one newcomer or newcomer cou
ple to sit at their table,” said Sue
Littauer who co-chairs this year’s
Recruitment Committee with
Mami Abramowitz. “We would
like for ‘Step into the Limelight’
to include as many new people as
possible to welcome them as part
of our community.” The Gala
Recruitment Committee is work
ing hard to spread the word about
the event.”
Be sure to make your reserva
tions for this exciting event imme
diately. Ticket information can be
obtained from Cary Bernstein
(944-6762 or email cb@shalom-
charlotte.org) 0
At the General Assembly
UJC’s Inaugural Event Reflects Hope,
Uncertainty about Future
By Julia Goldman
ATLANTA (JTA) — North
American Jewish community fed
erations decided years ago that it
was time to change the way they
relate to one another and the rest
of the Jewish world.
In November in Atlanta, the for
mal transformation began to take
shape.
But its real effects may take
years to reverberate throughout
the United Jewish Communities,
which represents nearly 200 feder
ations and some 400 independent
communities.
People generally “have a feel
ing” that a change is afoot, but
“they don’t know what it is,”
Richard November, the president
of the Jewish Community
Federation of Richmond, said at
the end of the UJC’s inaugural
event here.
The UJC, formed through the
merger of the Council of Jewish
Federations and the United Jewish
Appeal, became legal Nov. 17,
according to papers filed with
New York state.
The event capped off more than
six years of deliberations over
how to promote efficiency and
give communities a greater say in
the way the funds they raise are
allocated for Jewish needs at
home and abroad.
As more than 5,200 delegates
from North America and Israel
converged on the southern capital,
the UJC’s governing bodies met
for the first time, beginning the
business of reorganizing a social-
service and fund-raising system
that raised $790 million in the
1999 annual campaign. Attending
this year’s GA from Charlotte was
Bill Gorelick, Patty Gorelick, Jill
Newman, and Sara Schreibman.
The Federation received an award
from UJC for an outstanding cam
paign achievement for 1999.
Federations agreed that “a
national system is needed to
enhance the effectiveness of local
federations,” but differed on its
role.
Some of the people interviewed
envision the UJC as a kind of
“trade organization” for federa
tions, providing a way for commu
nities to work together on com
mon issues.
Others believe the organization
should take the initiative in setting
a continental Jewish agenda.
Charles Bronfman, the philan
thropist who serves as the UJC’s
first chairman, told the first meet
ing of the 123-member Board of
Trustees that “this is not simply a
merger. This is a new institution.”
Joel Tauber of Detroit, the
chairman of the executive com
mittee, counseled patience. Noting
that 1,000 board and committee
appointments have already been
made, he said at a news confer
ence that the definition of owner
ship “was left aside because it is
so controversial.”
Bronfman said that even though
questions remain, the high atten
dance level at the UJC’s kickoff
event was “an indication of the
tremendous groundswell of inter
est and the desire to be part of it.”
Indeed, the G.A. had the feel of
a communal celebration, and
Bronfman marked its opening ple
nary by leading the delegates who
filled Atlanta’s Civic Center in the
shehecheyanu, a Hebrew prayer
traditionally said to mark begin
nings and happy occasions.
High points of the event includ
ed appearances by Vice President
A1 Gore, who decided to speak
only days before the G.A., and
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak, who delivered his address
to the closing plenary by video
after his plane was damaged while
refueling in England en route to
Atlanta from a conference in
Turkey.
In his address. Gore told the del
egates they “are forging a unifying
coalition for social justice here, at
home and abroad.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud
Barak thanked delegates “for all
you give and have given to the
(Continued on page 27)
At the General Assembly
Today’s Jewish Renaissance
Creates a Canvas for the
Future
By Lisa Hostein
ATLANTA (JTA) — If
Michelangelo’s Renaissance
meant sculpting Moses from a
piece of marble, Just what does an
American Jewish Renaissance
hope to create?
Like the great Italian artists who
reached back to classical influ
ences to transform art and culture,
American Jewry is reaching back
to Jewish sources to create a new
kind of contemporary Jew —
steeped in Jewish learning and tra
dition, a Jew excited about being
Jewish out of choice, not necessi
ty-
It’s a tall order in these times of
growing assimilation; but it is one
optimists and pessimists of the
American Jewish scene believe
will be necessary for American
Jewry not only to survive, but to
thrive.
Although some have been
preaching the need for a Jewishly-
literate American Jewry for years,
the organized community, pro
pelled by the grass roots, is now
taking up the cause.
The United Jewish
Communities, the new federation-
driven national fund-raising and
social service organization offi
cially launched in November in
Atlanta, has designated Jewish
Renaissance and Renewal as one
of its four main pillars, or areas of
focus.
Indeed, a task force charged
with recommending a course of
action suggested as its guiding
vision: “to provide a bold and vig
orous leadership for building a
Jewish community permeated by
Torah, chesed (lovingkindness)
and tzedek (justice or righteous
ness).”
“We’ve come a long way, at
least rhetorically,” Jonathan
Woocher, executive vice president
of the Jewish Education Service of
North America, said last week at
the opening Renaissance forum at
the UJC’s General Assembly.
“Whereas in the past we were
worrying about Jewish continuity,
now the focus is on Jewish renais
sance,” he said to hundreds of
G.A. delegates who were repre
senting federations throughout
North America.
The buzzword has changed, and
so, it seems, has the emphasis.
The forum drew the largest
attendance of any of the four focus
sessions — the others being
Campaign/Finance Resource
Development, Human Services
and Social Policy, and Israel and
Overseas, confirming that finding
(Continued on page 13)
Imide this issue...
Domestic Issues Confront Israel’s Policy Agenda p. 3
By Dr. Ken Stein
•Di B’Shevat pp. 8-9
Celebrate the birthday of the trees, January 21-22
My TVip to Europe pp. 20-21
In a the second of a three-part series, RUa Mond shares her
photos and experiences
Federation Page
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4
Jewish Family Services
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CAJE
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10
Women’s Events
. . .page
11
Temple Israel
■page
12
Lubavitch of North Carolina . .
. . .page
13
Temple Beth El
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Youth Visions
.. .page
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The Jewish Traveler
. .page
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Speizman Jewish Library ....
. .page
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Jewish Community Center . . .
.. .Daees
18-19
Maze] Tov
.. pages
22-23
Charlotte Jewish Day School
• page
24
Dining Out page
.. .pages
25-26
ComwcUng Kamilies
•t TradUkxi
Campaign Surpasses
$24 Million Mark!
See Pages 6 & 7
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