5007 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
Change Service Requested
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT# 1208
CHARLOTTE, NC
The Charlotte
JEWISH
Vol. 22, No. 1 1
Kislev-Tevet 5761
December 2000
JFGC 2001 Campaign Goal and Cabinet
Announced
Eric Sklut, 2001 Annual
Campaign Chair for the Jewish
Federation of Greater Charlotte,
has appointed the 2001 Campaign
Cabinet and has determined this
year’s goal. “I am very excited
about the 2001 Campaign Cabinet,
with both veteran and new mem
bers. This group represents the
many facets of our community,
who have made the Federation
Campaign a success, and will lead
the way in reaching our goals for
2001,” explained Sklut.
“1 have established a goal of
$2.3 million for the 2001 cam
paign, and feel certain we will
reach that, and quite possibly
exceed it. There are many donors
in the community who have
endorsed the changes we are mak
ing within Federation as an agency,
and our evolving roles in
Charlotte,” he continued.
Sklut went on to say, “One of
the key points to this year’s suc
cess will be our solicitors, many of
whom have been part of this effort
for years. In addition, new faces
have stepped in to play this pivotal
role in the campaign. Our efforts
will be focused on ‘listening.’ We
want to hear what the community
thinks, how donors feel about their
role in the community and Jewry
around the world, and how we, as
a Federation, can be better at what
we do. This is a highly-charged
Campaign Cabinet. I promise we
will deliver!”
Eric Sklut, Campaign Chair
The members of the Men’s
Division 2001 Campaign Cabinet
are as follows: Major Gifts —
Larry Polsky, Scott Gorelick and
Todd Gorelick; $5,000-$9,999 —
Rael Gorelick and Ben Jaffa, Jr.;
$3,600-$4,999 — David Miller;
$l,800-$3,599 — Daniel Levine
and Jack Levinson; $1,000-$ 1,799
— Adrian Mesoznik and Mark
Rabinovitz; $365-$999 — Larry
Farber and Donald Jacobs;
Special Community
Chanukah Program
Stories and Songs from the Jewish
Tradition
Temple Beth El, Temple Israel,
the Jewish Federation of Greater
Charlotte, the Jewish Community
Center of Charlotte, and the
Carolina Agency for Jewish
Education have joined together to
bring you two days of music,
magic and fun. And it’s all free!
Mark Novak and Renee
Brachfeld will be bringing their
unique brand of Jewish music and
entertainment to Charlotte on
December 16 and 17.
First on Saturday evening,
December 16, they will present
“This Ain’t Your Bubbe’s Yiddish
Theater,” a concert for adults.
Rollicking, touching, soulful,
thought-provoking and funny, this
performance celebrates the
warmth and richness of Jewish
culture. Drawing from the heart of
old time Yiddish theater, Mark and
Renee present a vibrant and joyful
performance brimming with folk
tales, music, and contemporary
stories. Your Bubbe will like it and
so will you. The show begins at
7:30 PM in the Temple Beth El
Renee Brachfeld and Mark Novak
sanctuary.
Then, on Sunday, December 17,
at 11:00 AM at Temple Beth El,
Mark and Renee will give a con
cert for families with talking roost
ers, flying objects and even disap
pearing challahs. You and your
family will rejoice in the magic of
Jewish storytelling and song as.
Renee and Mark delight young
and old alike with a blend of tradi
tional tales, music, and juggling
feats. An exciting and entertaining
program sure to tickle your furmy
r Continued on page 11}
Community Fee and I^ew Gifts —
Jeff Epstein, Michael Littauer and
Dan Peck.
Alison Lerner, f resident of
Women’s Division, l^as appointed
Marni Abramowitz and Stacy
Miller-Gorelick Co-CZhairs of the
2001 Women’s Campsign. The fol
lowing women will b>e serving on
the Women’s Campaign
Committee: Gail Baron, Roni
Fishkin, Ruth Goldterg, Lynne
Sheffer and Mary Woy nowich.
Jeff and Emily Vaughan have
agreed to serve as co—chairs of the
Family Gifts Divisic^r; and Ruth
Goldberg has accepted an addi
tional role as chair of Solicitor
Training.
The division heads will be ask
ing others to serve as solicitors and
it is hoped that th& community
members will agree to serve when
asked. ^
Rabbi Leonid Feldman to
Speak at Federation’s
Major Gifts Reception
Or GteE«ER QMUucnriE
The Major Gifts
Reception for the
Jewish Federation of
Greater Charlotte will
be held at the home of
Sandra and Leon
Levine on the evening
of Tuesday, December
12, 2000. Rabbi
Leonid Feldman, a liv
ing example of the
drama of modern
Jewish history, will
address the approxi
mately eighty invited
guests. Rabbi Feldman has experi
enced total assimilation, Jewish
rebirth, violent anti-Semitism,
imprisonment in Russia, and free
dom in the West.
Leonid Feldman, the spiritual
leader of Temple Emanu-El in Palm
Beach, Florida, is the first and only
Soviet-born Conservative Rabbi.
He is also the President of the Ami-
Da Institute for training Russian
Jewish leaders in America. Rabbi
Feldman’s emotional return to his
hometown of Kishinev was fea
tured on the NBC Today Show, and
on Israeli National television. In
Rabbi Leonid Feldman
1996, he was a visit
ing Professor at the
Jewish University of
Moscow.
Rabbi Feldman
has served as a schol
ar for the Brandeis-
Bardin Institute in
California and the
Wexner Heritage
Foundation, and as
the Director of
Education for Soviet
Emigres in Italy. He
currently holds grad
uate degrees in Rabbinics from the
University of Judaism in Los
Angeles, in Education from the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem,
and in Physics and Theater Arts
from Kishinev State Pedagogical
Institute in the U.S.S.R. He is also a
Ph.D. candidate in International
Relations at the University of
Miami. His varied and unusual life
and background in a Marxist soci
ety enable him to teach and lecture
on Judaism with a passion and per
spective that is unique and exhila
rating. O
Charlotte Rallies in Support of Israel
Crowd of Miore Than 250 People Gathered to Sing, Cheer,
and Show S4>lidarity
By Amy Krakovitz
“This is the time to be united
and strong so that tJie State of
Israel will continue to fourish and
thrive. This is the tinae to let our
neighbors know that Ave are here
for peace and that we are here to
stay forever.” The words of Ilan
Segev, consulate gene ral of Israel
in Atlanta, rang out across the
Ostrow Soccer Field. Segev was
one of several speakers who
addressed the crowd otf nearly 300
at the Charlotte Jewisli communi
ty’s rally in support of Israel.
Nearly 300 people comr to show support for
Israel.
Good fortune reigned as the day
was crisp and sunny. At 10:30 AM,
Sara Schreibman,
president of the Jewish
Federation of Greater
Charlotte, introduced
the day. The partici
pants, waving Israeli
flags and holding
signs, joined with
Cantors Roochvarg
and Bernard in a rendi
tion of “The Star
Spangled Banner.”
Rabbi Murray
Ezring of Temple
Israel spoke the inspir-
ing words of
Elie Wiesel from 1988, at
the stari of the Intifada:
“Since the current distur
bance in the West Bank and
Gaza, [journalists] have
tried to get me to denounce
Israel’s policies. This is
what I answer: ‘Of course I
follow the events with
anxiety, but I have faith in
Israel because I have
faith in her humanity.’
Compared to other coun
tries, Israel need not be ashamed,
and she is not in need of lessons
Ilan Segev, Consulate
General of Israel to the
southeastern US, spoke at
the rally.
from anyone. After
all, who is judging
her? France, with
her Algerian past?
Britain, with her
colonial policy? The
USA, whom we
all remember in
Vietnam?
“I refuse to blame
Israel. I have always
refused. As a man liv
ing in the Diaspora, I
believe I owe some
thing to Israel: * to
stand at her side and
identify with her. Always.
“There are those who do not
like this. Let it be. Every man has
a right to his quirk. My quirk is
loyalty to Israel.”
More singing followed, and
then Ilan Segev spoke. “Over a
month ago, the people of the State
of Israel awoke to a new reality.
Our partner for peace ...had turned
their back to us. ...We have wit
nessed escalation in the level erf
violent acts conducted by the
Palestinian Authority Police, its
Continued on page 5}
Inside this issue ...
Were the Riots Spontaneous - or Planned?.
By CaHAlpert
Chanukah
Special Htflidax section; recip*'\, \toriey, gift ideas and more
We Mourn the I^oss of Alexander Schindler.
\fi eU’quent voice for Lihttal Judaism if gome
F^agle Scouts Flying High at the *\V
mmmurnityS att r.
L__
Pit
P- 3
p. 20-27
p. 29
p. 34
Fe*Jeration F^e
•page
4
page
8
Temple Israel
page
12
Ui^vitrh or North Carohna . . .
page
13
Temple Beth El
pjgc
14
CJvtuibrtc Jewish Prcst'hool ...
page
15
16
Jcv**/ish Travt'ki . .
p,:UC
17
-«j*l Tov
pSirr
1?
Sp tr:uni vi>h Libr.«\
V
Wc men’" Cvr.is.
p.1^.
">7
r'fi-
Dt" inf ■Hut
Jc.- --h ‘ rrv-E t ii: T
rr rli h V ' 1
A' V
.Connecting FamiiHH,
795 FAMILIES &
INDIVIDUALS HAVE
MADE THEIR PLEDGE!
ft'AKE YOUR
PLFDCE TODAY!
S- C