The Charlotte Jewish News - December 2001 - Page 2
CONTENTS
On Thk Cover
A Tribute to Al Rousso
By Lloyd Scher
Point of View
On the Cover
Federation News.' pp. 3-8
Library p. 10
On the Cover
A Tribute to Herman Blumenthal
Temple Betb El p. 12
Charlotte Jewish Preschool p. 13
On the Cover
Dr. Sanford Benjamin to speak p. 14
Temple Israel p. 14
The Foundation of
Shalom Park pp.15-18
Jewish Family Services p. 19
Women’s Page
p. 20
P- 2
Lubavitch of North Carolina.
p. 21
P- 2
Jewish Community Center
..pp. 22-23
Mazel Tov
p. 24
P- 3
Charlotte Jewish Day School.
p. 25
pp. 3-8
Dining Out
..pp. 26-29
...p. 10
Youth Page
p. 30
On The Cover
...p. 11
Chanukah
..pp. 31-33
...p. 11
Opinion/Editorial
p. 35
Point of View
Each issue of the CJN features an article written by one
of the rabbis active in the Charlotte community.
This month:
Rabbi Murray Ezring
of Temple Israel
“At Chanukah This Year, Don’t
Let the Light of Israel Go Out”
Im Yirtzeh Hashem. God will
ing as this newspaper is being dis
tributed I will be concluding my
visit to Eretz Yisrael, the land of
Israel. It is amazing to consider
that in the matter of a few hours,
we can fly from the United States
of America to the State of Israel.
This pilgrimage was a dream of
our ancestors that was not only
perilous but could consume
months of their lives. Our connec
tion to Israel is highlighted in our
holidays.
As Chanukah approaches, we
celebrate the strength and dedica-
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A Tribute to Al
By Lloyd Scher
My heart is heavy today for a great
Charlottean passed away. Al Rousso was a
mild mannered person who gave his love to
the city of Charlotte and to everyone he
touched. He loved working for the common
citizen and took pains to see that their con
cerns were met by government agencies.
He led this city with pride and dignity for
many years. It did not matter that you were
a Republican or a Democrat, Al was your
Pal. In 1993, he ran on that slogan, “Al is
My Pal,” and the citizens
elected him again to
serve the community.
I loved Al Rousso, and
I hurt with his passing. I
feel for his family, Doris,
Steve, David, Harold and
Paul and all of his grand
children; they are a great
tribute to him a great
source of pride. I was
honored to be treated like
one of his sons.
I can remember when
I did something wrong;
Al would call me to his
office and have a “sit-
down.” It was like a good
Al Rousso (z’’l)
old fashion woodshed except it was done
with love and understanding. I always left a
better person having learned from my mis
take. Whenever I entered his store he would
always greet me, “Hey! Mr. Commissioner,
how are you today?”
When I first moved to Charlotte in 1960,
Al Rousso was the first person I ever talked
too. He told me everything about being
Jewish in Charlotte. What impressed me
was the time he took with me as.a ten-year-
old kid. He was so kind, friendly and caring
little did I know that our lives would be so
(Continued on page 34)
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Candle Lighting for
December 2001
Friday, December 7
4:53 PM
Friday, December 14
4:54 PM
Friday, December 21
4:56 PM
Friday, December 28
5:00 PM
tion of the Maccabees, whose
belief and commitment enabled
them to overcome the overwhelm
ing odds of the power of this elu
sive Greek empire. Neither mili
tary might, nor the allure of the
decadent hedonistic culture, in
which people put enjoyment
above service, was able to draw
the Maccabees away from Torah
and the traditions of our people. In
too many ways our struggle today
is similar to that of our ancestors.
Here in the United States, and
throughout the Diaspora, we
struggle to maintain an authentic
Jewish lifestyle while the siren
call of assimilation beckons. We
have been successful in creating
another generation of Jews who
are educated and willing to main
tain Jewish life in this country.
The light of Torah, the light of the
Jewish spirit which the Maccabees
kept lit so long ago continues to
bum brightly each and every day
within our hearts and niinds.
The second parallel to the
Maccabean period that is a part of
our modem day reality is the fact
that the State of Israel is still under
attack. At the end of 2001, more
than 50 years after the creation of
the modem State of Israel, the
world’s only Jewish state is
viewed as an outside incursion
within an Arab world. Peace still
eludes Israelis and Palestinians.
While Israel continues to be the
stronger party militarily, we must
wonder how it is that her image in
the media and the mind of the
world has weakened so. Like the
Maccabees of old, I believe that
we as Jews must be strong in our
support of the modern Jewish
State. This does not mean that we
believe that Israel is perfect, but as
Jews and Americans, we can never
forget the strength of Israeli
democracy, the economic boon
that the new Israel has brought to
an area of desert wilderness and
the hope that this Jewish state pro
vides for the future. As Israel and
her citizens continue to fight the
kinds of battles that the
Maccabees fought so long ago,
may we exhibit each and every
day our faith in the righteousness
of Israel’s cause, and the beauty
and necessity of a modem Jewish
State. In the words of Peter
Yarrow, “Don’t let the light go out.
It’s lasted for so many years.”
L’hitraot, Rabbi Murray
Ezring
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