The Charlotte Jewish News - August 2000 - Page 14
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What’s Missing from Our Congregation? ... You!
Temple Beth El consists of
Jews aligned with Reform
Judaism who are of all ages, occu
pations and income levels. Our
programs are designed to meet the
spiritual, religious, educational
and social needs of our members,
including families, singles, stu
dents and seniors. Temple Beth El
is a member of the Union of
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Morrie Rosen
704-847-9010
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9103 L independence Boub/oni
American Hebrew Congregations.
There are many ways to
become involved and acquainted
with other congregants. During
our membership process, you can
tell us about your interests and we
will direct you to programs to
meet your needs. You can become
involved in shaping the direction
of our Temple’s future by attend
ing a class or participating in a
program or worship service.
(worship)
( STUDY )
(AcnvrriEs)
We encourage you to get to
know our Rabbis, Cantor,
Executive Director, Director of
Public Relations, Principal of
Religious School and other staff
by attending Shabbat Services and
by becoming active in our pro
grams, activities, and on commit
tees. You may also meet privately
with staff by appointment.
We invite you to make Temple
Beth El your home and become
part of our congregational family.
Please call for membership details
and see why over a 1000 families
have joined Temple Beth El.
With our reference guide you
will be able to get your questions
answered and will make participa
tion in Temple activities more
convenient.
Temple Beth El Phone Directory
Temple Office: (704) 366-1948
Fax: (704) 366-1365
Clergy:
Rabbi Bennett, Rabbi Spitalnic,
Rabbi Schindler (704) 944-6789,
Cantor Bernard
Administrative:
Arthur Kramer - Executive
Director; Cherie Flitton -
Director of Public
Relations/Editor of the Voice;
Steve Rosenauer - Bookkeeper;
Becky Cohen - Assistant to the
Rabbis; Reuven Green -
Administrative Assistant; Betty
Crawford - Secretary to Cantor
Bernard; Pam Linker - Secretary
to Arthur Kramer
Education:
Roz Cooper - Director,
Consolidated Hebrew High
School (704) 944-6782; Debbie
Block - Director, Preschool (704)
944-6777; Susan Jacobs -
Principal, Religious School (704)
944-6787
Maintenance:
James Curry - Building
Supervisor
Temple e-mail.'
Info@beth-el.com
Rabbi Bennett:
Rabbi@beth-el.com O
Bible Themes are Feature of Ohio
Ceramic Artist’s Work in Reform
Women’s Annual Art Calendar
An award-winning graphics
designer from Akron, Ohio, who
turned to ceramic sculpturing in
clay as a hobby and made it into a
life’s work, is the featured artist in
this year’s Jewish Art Calendar
and High Holy Day greeting card
published by Women of Reform
Judaism-The Federation of
Temple Sisterhoods (WRJ).
Seven works by Bonnie Cohen
that are pictured in the calendar
and cards are based on motifs
ranging from stone carvings of
biblical times to contemporary
Jewish ritual objects. She also pro
duces whimsical sculptures, syna
gogue plaques and large wall
murals.
The pocket-sized calendars,
published for the last 87 years by
the Reform Movement’s women’s
affiliate, have become traditional
as a popular gift for family mem
bers and friends, and for personal
use. They are available from sis
terhood Judaica shops at Reform
synagogues across the United
States and Canada, including at
Temple Beth El in Charlotte. WRJ
has chapters at more than 600 con
gregations throughout North
America.
The new edition of the Art
Calendar covers the Jewish year
5761 (September 2000 through
October 2001). It lists Torah and
Haftarah portions, Jewish,
American and Canadian holidays
and provides space for appoint
ments and notes.
Ceramic artist Bonnie Cohen’s
principal focus is on biblical
themes, and in this vein, she has
even designed her own “alphabet”
of ancient and modem imagery.
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HOWARD EPSTEIN. Agent
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You’re in good hands.
We offer the following insurance:
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10618-A Providcnce Road
(Providence Commons)
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 846-9700
2000 Allstue ImsrarKe Cou^say • AUUNc Life LnCoioptpy. Notwmi*, il
“Noah’s Ark” is the title of this
stoneware clay wall piece by Bonnie
Cohen, featured in this year’s Women
of Reform Judaism pocket calendar
employing a variety of favorite
symbols that include the sun,
moon, stars, seas, palm trees, pea
cocks and elk. These timeless
motifs recur repeatedly in her
sculptured pieces.
llie artist works in a studio in
her home in Akron. Her unusual
technique consists of first carving
her designs into hardened clay
blocks and then pressing them into
soft, wet clay. It is an ancient tech
nique of pottery decoration similar
to printmaking. The slabs of clay
are then “draped” over wooden or
Styrofoam forms and shaped into
ritual objects, decorative sculp
tures or tiles. Ms. Cohen paints on
glazes, using layers of different
colors that give a rich, variegated
surface. After the first firing, the
top surface is sanded off to reveal
the impressed figures. She
achieves a layering effect by sub
jecting the work to multiple fir
ings and the addition of 24K gold
“accents.” Many of her pieces
carry biblical quotations and
prayers, which she inscribes
through hand lettering.
The artist is a graduate of
Camegie-Mellon University,
where she received a Bachelor of
Fine Arts degree. She enrolled for
additional studies in ceramics at
the University of Akron while pro
ducing award-winning graphic
designs for corporate clients. Her
work in ceramics, which started
out as a hobby, eventually became
a full time professional pursuit.
Her creations have been shown in
galleries, juried shows and muse
ums throughout the United States.
In addition to “telling stories in
clay” through her own ceramic
sculptures, she teaches Judaic art
at the Hebrew high school in
Akron and is involved in collabo
rative Judaic art projects with chil
dren and adults. She and her hus
band have two sons.
Biblical texts, Ms. Cohen says,
have been her greatest source of
inspiration. “Often, I sit in
Sabbath services and hear a beau
tiful line of Torah. Later, in my
studio, I struggle to give the words
meaning in clay,” she explains.
In addition to their availability
at Temple Beth El’s gift shop, the
new WRJ Art Calendar and cards
may be ordered directly from
Women of Reform Judaism, 633
Third Avenue, New York, NY
10017-6778; phone (212) 650-
4060; fax (212) 650-4050. If
ordered by mail, single copies of
the calendar are $12, including
postage and handling. O
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HUH
THE GIFT SHOP
OF TEMPLE BETH EL
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Monday-Frkjay IQOO AM-4D0 PM;
Open Friday evenings
during the Oneg Shabbat
^ Or caB 366-1948 for an appointment.
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