An Affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Vol. 37, No. 10
Cheshvan-Kislev 5776
November 2015
“Stars of David” will Shine Brightly at JCRC Fall Lecture Federation MAIN EVENT on December 17 Featuring Ari Shavit SAVE THE DATE
2016 Main Event and Campaign Kick-Off Thursday, December 17, 7:30 PM At Temple Israel Stars of David: Jewish Identity in the 21st Century Main Event Chair: Larry Schwartz Guest Speaker: Abigail Pogrebin, author of Stars of David Tickets are $36 and can be purchased online at www.jewishcharlotte.org
Abigail Pogrebin has become a rare voice among American Jews, as a journalist and an explorer who shares with refreshing wit and candor her path to finding a meaningful Jewish life. A former producer for 60 Minutes and Charlie Rose, she is the author of Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jew-
ish, in which sixty-one of the most accomplished Jews in America speak intimately-most for the first time-about how they feel about being Jewish, the influence of their heritage, the weight and pride of their history, the burdens and pleasures of observance, the moments they’ve felt most Jewish (or not). In unusually candid interviews with Abigail Pogrebin over the course of 18 months, celebrities ranging from Sarah Jessica Parker to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from Larry King to Mike Nichols, reveal how being Jewish fits into their public and most private lives. At The Main Event, Abigail Pogrebin will share vivid, personal portraits that reveal how the experience of being Jewish in the 21st century is amplified by fame and how her evolving Jewish identity was changed by what she heard. She will also moderate a conversation about Jewish identity among distinguished members of the Charlotte Jewish community.
A graduate of Yale University, Abigail is also the author of One and the Same: My Life as an Identical Twin and What I’ve Learned About Everyone’s Struggle to be Singular, and has contributed to numerous publications including New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Salon, Tablet, The Forward, The Huffington Post, and Harper’s Bazaar. For the past two years, she’s helped assemble Newsweek’s list of “The 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America.” Abigail moderates the interview series, “What Everyone’s Talking About” at the JCC in Manhattan, where her illustrious guests have included Nicholas Kristof, David Remnick, Chris Matthews, Nora Ephron, Mario Batali, and Jonathan Safran Foer. She has also moderated interviews at the 92nd Street Y and the Bronfman Foundation. She is the daughter of Letty Cottin Pogrebin, founder of Ms. Magazine. For more information about The Main Event, contact the Federation office at 704-944-6757.Y
Ari Shavit
Please join us for the Jewish Federation’s Community Relations Council Annual Fall Lecture on Wednesday, November 4, 7 PM in the Sam Lerner Center for Cultural Arts at Shalom Park. Our featured guest speaker will be Ari Shavit, one of the most influential Israeli journalists writing about the Middle East today and author of My Promised Land. Shavit will discuss “Promise and Peril, Why Is-
rael and the Diaspora Need Each Other” explaining how Israel’s complex past ought to shape its still-uncertain future. Ari Shavit through illuminating powerful and compelling moments of the modern Zionist state of Israel will challenge Diaspora Jewry to be bold in imagining the next challenging chapter for Israel. No country is more emotionally connected to the United States, and no country’s fate matters more to many Americans. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Tal Stein, Director of Community Relations and Israel Affairs, 704-944-6751. This event was made possible by a generous gift from Harry and Gloria Lerner. Y
Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah’s 2nd Annual Israeli Products Fair You Could Win a Trip to Israel! Annual Israeli Products Fair on November 22 at Shalom Park, 5007 Providence Road. In response to feedback from attendees last year, we are pleased to an-
5007 Providence Road, Suite #112 Charlotte, NC 28226 Change Service Requested
November 22, 10 AM –2 PM, Lerner Hall, Main Street, and Oasis Room at Shalom Park The Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah is proud to host the 2nd
nounce that this year’s event will feature only Israeli made products, showcasing their fantastic cultural, artistic, and deep history of craftsmanship. This year’s biggest and most exciting addition to the Fair is a raffle* to win a 2016 Hadassah Mission Trip for two to Israel. Tickets cost $72 each or 8 for $500, and can be purchased at the front desk of the main building at Shalom Park. Buy your ticket soon, as only 250 raffle tickets will be sold, excellent odds to win. The drawing will occur at the Fair on November 22, and tickets will be on sale until the day of the event unless they sell out prior to that. You need not be present to win. The Fair, co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, the Levine Jewish Community Center, and Ayelet Travel, was designed as a community-wide event. In addition to this fabulous raffle, the event will feature an Israel Travel room, which will feature tables for Jewish agencies and organizations that have sponsored a trip to Israel to showcase their trip to Fair attendees, as well as speakers on travel to Israel and the economic impact
Israeli purchasing and technology on the state of North Carolina. This room will show the community the variety of opportunities and possibilities of supporting and traveling to Israel. The Fair itself will feature Israeli food provided by Izzy’s catering, children’s activities, and local and Israeli vendors offering a wide variety of Israeli products, including Judaica, jewelry, skin products, shoes, purses, olive oils, and much more. Vendors will be coming in from as far away as Baltimore (Sababa Israeli Jewelry) and Alabama (Sabra Style) to participate. Proceeds from this event will fund the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower in Jerusalem, Hadassah’s 19-story world-class in-patient facility that houses five below-ground floors, where the ultra-modern specialized Surgical Center is located and protected from outside attacks of any kind, conventional, biological, or chemical. For additional information, contact Stacy Baum at 704-8080423 or schree@carolina.rr.com. For a complete list of rules and trip dates and additional informa-
tion about the Fair, please visit www.hadassah.org/charlotte and to sign up for a table to sell Israeli items, visit http://tinyurl.com/ CLTIsraeliFairVendor Y * North Carolina State law requires winner to pay taxes based on the full value of the prize. See rules at www.hadassah.org/charlotte.
Thank you to our sponsors:
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT # 1208 CHARLOTTE, NC
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 2
Todah Rabah to Our Most Recent Donors The Charlotte Jewish News thanks our most recent donors for their generosity in helping us fulfill our mission to continue publishing the latest information about our community. Visit charlottejewishnews.org to see the most updated information. Grand Patrons Bob & Beth Davis Patrons Barry Bobrow & Karen Knoble Richard & Paula Klein David A. Nachamie, MD Rich & Jenny Rosenthal Paul & Marcia Simon; Paul Simon for Women Friends Robert & Linda Isser Marcia B. Lampert
Frada L. Mozenter Morey & Lynne Sheffer Gary & Maxine Silverstein Morris & Linda Spil Subscribers Robert Friedman Ruth Abrams Goldberg Donald & Shevi Herbstman Michael & Phyllis Korman Dr. Michael & Judy Norman Martin & Alice Rouff Rabbi Michael Shields Ronald & Renee Townsend
JEWISH FEDERATION NEWS
Apple Picking with PJ Library More than 200 kids, parents, and grandparents joined PJ Library and the Jewish Federation for our Annual Rosh Hashanah Apple Picking at Carrigan Farms. Our group got a chance to experience an age-old holiday tradition first hand - picking some delicious apples from the orchards and learning how honey is made. All families who attended the apple picking enjoyed a goody bag from our PJ Library partners. Many thanks to the Levine JCC, the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library, the Charlotte Jewish Preschool, Jewish Council of Lake Norman, and Jewish Preschool on Sardis for their donations. For more information about PJ Library and upcoming events, please contact Tair Giudice, Director of Outreach and Engagements, 704-944-6759 or tair.giudice@jewishcharlotte.org PJ Library, a Jewish Federation Impact and Innovation Fund Grantee, provides free, high-quality books and music to families raising Jewish children. Y
Letter to the Editor Dear Charlotte Jewish News, Thank you so much for spotlighting Lauren's Bat Mitzvah weekend, held last November. While we truly enjoyed having her celebration Saturday evening in the Sam Lerner Center located at Shalom Park, I wanted to clarify her Bat Mitzvah was held at Temple Israel, Saturday morning during Shabbat services. Thank you. Staci Mond
SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING FOR NOVEMBER 2015 Friday, November 6, 5:06 PM Friday, November 13, 5:01 PM Friday, November 20, 4:57 PM Friday, November 27, 4:54 PM
The Charlotte Jewish News 5007 Providence Road, Suite 112 Charlotte, NC 28226 Phone (voice mail after office hours)
Office 704-944-6765 FAX 704-365-4507 email: charlottejewishnews@shalomcharlotte.org An Affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte Amy Krakovitz - Editor Advertising Sales Reps: Jodi Valenstein, 704-609-0950 or Scott Moskowitz, 704-906-2474 Art Director, Erin Bronkar ebronkar@carolina.rr.com CJN Editorial Board Chair - Bob Davis Members: Bob Abel, Sara Abadi, David Delfiner, Ann Langman, Linda Levy, Elaine Millen The CJN does not assume responsibility for the quality or kasruth of any product or service advertised. Publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate, political party or position by this newspaper, the Federation or any employees.
Published monthly except July An affliate of:
CONTENTS Federation News ..............................pp. 1, 2
Jewish Family Services................pp. 18, 22
Community News .............................pp. 3-6
Jewish Community Center .........pp. 20, 21
Schools .............................................pp. 8-11
Levine-Sklut Judaic Library .............p. 22,
Youth Visions................................pp. 11, 12
Thanksgiving. ...............................pp. 25-29
Synagogues/Congregations..........pp. 12-16
Dining Out ............................................p. 27
I would like to make a contribution to demonstrate my support of The Charlotte Jewish News. Name....................................................................Phone (..............) ................................. Address.............................................................................................................................. City .......................................................................State..................Zip .............................
Enclosed in my check for $........................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
$18.00 $25.00 $50.00 $100.00
Basic Annual Subscription Friend Patron Grand Patron Other
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 3
Community News The Hebrew Cemetery Annual Memorial Service Honors the Past, Embraces the Future Mary Thomas gave the sermon. By Kelly Reed Keeling On the morning of Sunday, Cantor Thomas started her reflecSeptember 20, 2015 (5776), al- tion with a poem by Rabbi Donald most 300 persons gathered at the Rossoff, who writes, “If every life Hebrew Cemetery on Statesville were like a drop of rain – each of Avenue for the Annual Memorial us a small, solitary self – then Service. During the Days of Awe, death would be for us return, back it is a long-held Jewish tradition to to the ocean whence we came …” “As Jews, our traditions are not many people had a chance to go to the cemetery. This year’s memorial service reflected the meant to blunt the pain of loss or catch up with friends they may not spirit of the cemetery’s mission to dull the ache of missing, because have seen in several years. For inhonor, celebrate and embrace both they simply cannot. No shiva min- stance, Ruth Zemel Easley and those who have passed and Sarah Ackerman enjoyed those who mourn the passing reminiscing about their first of loved ones. meeting some 40 years prior Hebrew Cemetery Associaand the days when Ackertion President Brian Yesowman’s family ran the local itch welcomed all to the general store in Fort Mill. cemetery, and expressed his Visitors strolled through appreciation for the building the Blumenthal Garden and campaign donors, the Create a appreciated the lovely landJewish Legacy donors and the scaping that has been inhard work put forth by the stalled in the last year. grounds crew and volunteers Families visited the graves in preparation for the service. of their loved ones. Thanks Board member Lorrie Kleto the care of supporting mons chaired the planning of Jewish clergy from several denominations presided congregations, the beautiful the service. Our community’s at the Memorial Service. grounds and Memorial Jewish Girl Scout Troop Building, and the long#1240 led by Deborah Leighton yan or year of kaddish said can standing warmth and support of greeted guests with a cold bottle mend a broken heart or alleviate Jewish friends and family, the Heof water, and Hebrew Cemetery our sorrow,” observes Cantor brew Cemetery truly is commuAssociation board members as- Thomas. “What our beliefs do is nity cemetery. sisted with the tzedakah collec- hold our hand and guide us on a For more information about path toward health and healing. honoring loved ones on the Metion. Our practices give us the op- morial Wall, or to learn more portunity to stoke the coals of about preplanning a funeral, our memory, keeping our membership (only $72 per year), loved ones alive within us.” and Create a Jewish Legacy Cantors Bernard and giving, please contact Sandra Roochvarg prayed beautifully Goldman at director@hebrewtogether with one voice. The cemetery.org or 704-576-1859.Y community read the Mourners’ Kaddish after the area’s rabbis shared the names of community members and their loved ones who passed in 5775. The service celebrated the richness each added Ruth Easley, Sarah Ackerman, and Anita to the tapestry of our lives. Gray attended the service. Following the service, guests had the opportunity to At the service, Mark Vitner tour the Memorial Building and shared why he and his wife, Amy, review mockups of the lovely Mehave created a legacy gift for the morial Wall plaques and the Hebrew Cemetery. Fresh on his Builder’s Wall that will be inmind was the loss that week of a stalled later in the year. Many peopersonal computer’s “hard drive,” ple inquired about memorializing or permanent memory. The anal- their own loved ones on the Meogy was not lost on him as he morial Wall, thereby supporting shared how “the cemetery is about the maintenance and beauty of the the community’s stored memo- Cemetery. The cost for a plaque is ries.” Mr. Vitner spoke about $1000. From the cacophony of voices Temple Beth El Mitzvah Days at the cemetery, during which he, his after the service, it was clear that family, and fellow congregants have washed head stones and cleaned up the grounds. The mitzvah, he says, becomes not only a celebration of love for those who have passed, but also a celebration of our time together in the here and now. One of the reasons the Annual Memorial Service is so special is that it is the only time in the year that all the area’s clergy gather together to conduct a joint service. Clerical responsibilities for the service rotate from year to year among the supporting congregations. This year, Rabbi Judy Brian and Martha Yesowitch, Lisa ShSchindler of Temple Beth El or- pritz, and Nora Yesowitch in front. ganized the service, and Cantor
The “keys” to a successful real estate transaction...
Experience and Commitment! Buying...Selling...Relocating...
Ann and Andrew are your connections to the local Jewish community. Serving the Charlotte community for over 30 years.
Ann Langman 704-502-4328 ann.langman@allentate.com
Andrew Rosen 704-604-4756 andrew.rosen@allentate.com
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 4
The Making of a Legacy As long as people talk about the game, whenever they mention the name Yogi Berra, they will smile because he was that kind of a human being. … One of the sweetest men, and one of the great players. —Baseball Hall of Fame Announcer, Vin Scully, on the legacy of Yogi Berra A legacy is something we leave
behind. It is a scorecard on our lifetime accomplishments and a reporting on how we helped to repair the world. We are remembered by the way we treat and help others, how we raise our children, care for our parents and support our community. Do we give of our time, our talents and our treasures?
Josh Rubin’s Plumbing, LLC LICENSED - BONDED - INSURED COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Layouts for slabs - Rough-in and Finish Water Heater Repairs and Replacement Kitchen/Bath Remodeling Toilets, Tubs, Faucets, Sink, and Disposal Repairs/Replacement ~ 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE ~ NC State Lic. #29197
SC State Lic. #M110508
704-517-4918 Larry Horowitz, CLU, ChFC L2 Financial 5950 Fairview Road, Suite 608 Charlotte, NC 28210 (704) 556-9982, Fax (704) 369-2918 www.L2financial.com www.L2financial.com Helping in the CREATION, PRESERVATION & DISTRIBUTION of your Estate Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through H. Beck, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. H. Beck, Inc. and L2 Financial are not affiliated.
Many have been influenced by our Charlotte Jewish community to create a Jewish legacy. Below are quotes by some of our legacy donors. With diverse backgrounds, they offer a variety of motivations and thoughts about legacy giving… We were both taught from a young age that it is our responsibility to look out for others, especially those who are less fortunate. —Dan (OBM) and Ellen Dubin Making a difference in our world now and in the future is why we are here. —Risa and David Miller I never thought someone like me had the ability to leave a gift to support future generations but have learned that we all can. — Yvonne Amato As the Jewish community in Charlotte welcomed and embraced me, it became my family, nourishing my spiritual side, providing caring friends, and allowing me to find my place in the community. —Linda Seigel It is the vibrancy of our Charlotte Jewish community that makes us the connected Jews that we are today. —Barry and Lorrie Klemons As a holocaust survivor, I strongly believe that the continuing survival of the Jewish community will depend on educating future generations about the beauty of our Jewish heritage. — Irving Bienstock
GIVE THE GIFT
OF TRAVEL Ask any Mann Travels Agent how TODAY!
704.556.8322 Park Road
704.542.4242 Blakeney Village
704.541.0943 Arboretum
704.892.9020 Lake Norman
We are very concerned about the continuity of the Jewish community. It is very important to us for future generations to have the same Jewish experiences as our family. —Andrea and George Cronson While we realize that our days are limited, the life of the Jewish community and Judaism is eternal. —Shel and Ellen Goldstein The same Jewish organizations that impacted our lives are now having a positive influence on our three children. —Stephanie and Jon Simon It gives me the chance as an ordinary person, not a major donor, to contribute to the future of a re-
ligion that is linked deeply to my past. — Monty Bennett The Charlotte Jewish community has been my home, my life and my refuge. I believe that by participating actively — physically, mentally, and financially — in this vibrant Jewish community, my life has been enriched. — Audrey Madans Y
Our Jewish Community’s Newest Legacy Gifts We thank the following individuals/families who have recently informed our community, through Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community (FCJC) or one of the ten Create Your Jewish Legacy community partners, that they have created a legacy gift to support the future of Charlotte’s Jewish community or added an organization to their legacy plan. There are now 320 individuals/families throughout our Jewish community who have included a local Jewish organization in their legacy plans creating 653 unique legacies. Charlotte’s Jewish community now has esti-
mated future gifts of more than $24 million. We welcome our newest donors into our community’s Book of Life Society: Gail and John Baron Maxine and Gary Silverstein
Come Be a Part of the Global Day of Jewish Learning On November 15, Jewish communities around the world will gather to learn as one. This international initiative of the Aleph Society is debuting in Charlotte this year. On the campus of Shalom Park, rabbis, scholars, and community leaders from all streams of Ju-
daism will join together to teach, celebrate, and connect with folks young and old. The morning begins at 8 AM with registration and a continental breakfast, followed by multiple minyanim representing the dynamic pluralism of Jewish life. Interesting and engaging educational and cultural sessions will fill our morning, culminating with tikkun olam projects, lunch, and festive local Jewish music. For more information and to pre-register, visit jewishcharlotte.org and click on the Global Day of Learning link. This is a unique opportunity to raise your Jewish awareness, stimulate your Jewish connectivity, and connect with your fellow Jews. Please join us for this exciting opportunity to join Jews from 400 communities around the world in the Global Day of Jewish Learning. For the sponsors of this event, see the ad on page 17.Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 5
A Day in the Life of the Butterfly Project It’s hard to believe that it has been more than seven years since the Butterfly Project was begun at the Levine JCC. The months and years have flown by so quickly, but so much has been accomplished. The Margaret and Lou Schwartz Butterfly Garden, and its Children’s Holocaust Memorial Sculpture, were dedicated in May of 2011. Upon installation, the sculpture contained 2,800 ceramic butterflies painted by school groups, companies and faith-based groups, each painted in memory of a specific child who perished in the Holocaust. Last fall, 1,500 additional butterflies were added to the sculpture on a second set of wings. This past spring, phase II of the garden construction was completed: a new seating area was added, the garden and surrounding areas received beautiful new landscaping and an inspirational path was installed with wonderful quotes etched in stone to read and ponder. Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, a new format of workshops for students and adults was developed. Each year, the workshops are reaching more people in the greater Charlotte community. Last year’s school year ended with more than 5,500 participants. Two months into the current academic year, more than 4,600 students are scheduled to participate. What brings schools back year after year and new schools from Mecklenburg and five surrounding counties in? The workshops were developed to use the story of the Holocaust as a vehicle to teach what can happen when prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination are allowed to flourish. The goal of the workshops is to teach each participant to remember the past, act responsibly in the present and create a more peaceful future. How do the workshops accomplish that goal?
Picture several big yellow school buses pulling up in front of the JCC. Students spill off the bus and into the Sam Lerner Center for Cultural Arts. After a brief introduction of what the next 2-½ hours will entail, either Irving Bienstock or Suly Chenkin – the two Holocaust survivors who the Butterfly Project is so fortunate to have involved – stands up at the podium and tells his or her amazing story of survival. Students listen with eyes wide open and jaws dropping, then ask insightful and thought-provoking questions. The students then participate in a curriculum called Take a Stand. This curriculum uses the Anti-Defamation League’s Pyramid of Hate and video clips of local survivors to discuss how prejudiced attitudes, if left unchecked, can expand to acts of prejudice, discrimination, violence and, ultimately, genocide. Participants are encouraged to stand up for what they believe is right. Participants then learn about the importance of names and identity, followed by painting a ceramic butterfly in memory of a specific child. To further honor each child, each participant says aloud the name of the child who died – a name that likely has not been spoken in decades. Finally, they visit the Garden where they view the sculpture and have an opportunity to write their reflections of the day. Who runs the Butterfly Project?
For this school year, Lori Semel was hired as the Butterfly Project supervisor. Several years ago, Lori began volunteering for the workshops, then took on leading the workshops and then took a part-time paid position. Dana Kapustin, who previously led the workshops and expanded the project extensively, trained Lori well. When Dana recently left the Butterfly Project to pursue other opportunities, Lori seamlessly stepped in. However, as important as staff is, the workshops could never function without the help of so many talented and passionate volunteers. A talented lay committee, co-chaired by Judy August and Jill Newman, works behind the scenes. In addition, each workshop needs 4-6 volunteers. From mixing paint and laying out tablecloths, to cleaning up and overglazing butterflies, to leading segments of the workshops, the volunteers truly have made the project take flight. A special thanks to the following people who volunteered countless hours at workshops during the past school year: Marcia Borden, Annie Brackis, Elaine Chernotsky, Linda Copilevitz, Aleen Epstein, Michelle Goodman, Jane Graham, Beverly Grey, Leslie Gumpert, Lauren Halperin, Joan Kirschner, Mindy Kirshbaum, Judy Marco, Susan Rabinowich, Fran Schuler, Bill Schwartz, Susan Shure, Hagit Stav, and Nancy Tarbis. Since the inception of the Butterfly Project in 2008, more than 18,000 butterflies have been painted by members of the Greater Charlotte community. In other words, 18,000+ children have been honored and remembered by the Levine JCC’s Butterfly Project. A truly remarkable accomplishment. For more information, contact Lori Semel at butterflyproject@ charlottejcc.org or 707-9446833.Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 6
Bal Tashchit: Do Not Destory or Waste Bal tashchit, the commandment against needless waste or destruction, is a central concept in Judaism. In November, the Shalom Green Challenge focuses on reducing waste, with an emphasis on food waste. Did you know? • The average American family throws away nearly $1500 worth of food every year. • Nationwide, 133 billion
pounds of food, about one third of the nation’s food supply is wasted. • An estimated 48.1 million Americans, and over 165,000 people in Mecklenburg County alone, are hungry or at risk of hunger. • Reducing food waste by just 30% would save enough food to feed 50 million people. • Wasted food makes up more than 20% of the trash in landfills in the United States.
www.quailhollowvet. c o m
Free Physical Exam for all new clients (A $64 value)
8408 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210
704-278-8000
• The US Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and private businesses has set a goal of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. Join the Shalom Green Challenge and take action to reduce waste in your home and community. For more information, email Julie Rizzo at julie.rizzo@charlottejcc.org.
A big thank you to the many volunteers who came out to build and plant the Shalom Park Community Garden. Our first crop of kale, collard greens, beets, swiss chard, and other cool weather vegetables, along with herbs, pomegranate and fig trees, and grape
vines is in the ground. Join our volunteer email list to receive information on opportunities to participate in the garden. Email Yonatan Thull at catalyst.ahelpinghand.org for more information.Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 7
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 8
School Giving Thanks at the Jewish Preschool on Sardis
a nd D rop i n e! joi n m
Come Play!
WHO: For ages 0 - 2 and their caregivers WHEN: Wednesday Mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 am* WHERE: Family Place at the Levine JCC *beginning August 12
YƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͍ ŽŶƚĂĐƚ dĂŝƌ 'ŝƵĚŝĐĞ͕ ϳϬϰ͘ϵϰϰ͘ϲϳϱϵ͕ ƚĂŝƌ͘ŐŝƵĚŝĐĞΛũĞǁŝƐŚĐŚĂƌŽƩĞ͘ŽƌŐ
Ready. F Ready. For. or. A nything. Anything. Ready R eady ttoo llearn. earn. R Ready eady ttoo ssucceed. ucceed. Ready whatever R eady ffor or w hatever life life has has in in sstore tore for for me. me. Country Countr y Day Day Ready. Ready.
Open O pen House Housee Dates: Dates: October O ctober 7 ((Junior Junior Kindergarten K indergar ten – Kindergarten) K indergar ten)
October O ctober 27 27 ((Junior Jun i or K Kindergarten indergar ten – Grade Grade 4) 4)
November N ovember 5 ((Grades Grades 9 – 12) 12 )
ccharlottecountryday.org/RSVP harlo t t ecoun t r ydday.or g / R S V P (704) (7 04) 943-4530 94 3 - 45 4 30
By Dedee Goldsmith, director, Jewish Preschool on Sardis The Jewish Preschool on Sardis has so much to be thankful for this 2015/5775 year. We successfully launched and filled our infant program, we successfully ran our first full summer program and we are expanding our program classrooms this fall. None of this could be done without the support of so many from our amazing volunteers and families, our generous donors and of course, our talented and dedicated team. So during this time of offering thanks, I would like to shout out my thanks publicly. Ms. Angel, thank you for finding your way back to JPS. Your infectious laugh, whistling, and singing through the halls brings smiles to all in ear shot. Ms. Beverly, thank you for your 25 years of dedication to making JPS what it is today. Your gentle approach lifts children to the next level, ready for their next adventure in life. Ms. Cailey, thank you for starting off your JPS tenure with our brand new summer program. Your perseverance and commitment to early childhood education is something that makes all want to know more and do more. Ms. Chaya, thank you for your
love of Judaism and your creative approach to making Judaica a favorite time of day for both children and teachers. We are grateful for your flexibility and time you share at JPS among your busy schedule. Ms. Chinita, thank you for finding JPS this year. Your honest approach, your commitment to your education and your loving heart is just what our extended day program needed. Ms. Denora, thank you for loving those babies. Your physical approach to development keeps babies, parents and visiting teachers on their toes all day long. Ms. Ellen, thank you for leading the toddlers on their journey to
movement, exploration and language development. You continuously manage to take a baby at the start of the year and help to create a preschooler by the end. Ms. Elizabeth, thank you for taking on the new lead teacher role. We’ve been cheering you on, knowing you can and are so appre(Continued on next page)
Shabbat candle lighting at the Jewish Preschool on Sardis.
Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 9
Abby Kosofsky Establishes a New Fund for Alumni at CJDS Charlotte Jewish Day School is proud to announce the establishment of the Charlotte Jewish Day School Bar and Bat Mitzvah Fund. This new fund was created by CJDS Alumni Abby Kosofsky, in honor of her Bat Mitzvah in October 2015, to benefit children in the Charlotte community who may need additional financial assistance beyond what the school may be able to award in order to
Abby Kosofsky
attend CJDS. Upon her graduation, Abby wanted to make it a reality for as many children as possible to attend CJDS, so that they too, could experience and benefit from the warm and nurturing atmosphere of Yiddishkeit. To start the fund, Abby is donating her gifts from her Bat Mitzvah and she hopes that the fund becomes an opportunity for all CJDS graduates to continue the mitzvah of tzedakah by contributing to the fund at the time of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah or their birthday. Abby is now in sixth grade at Charlotte Secondary Middle School in Charlotte. Abby attends Talmud Torah and is a member of the Bat Mitzvah Club at Ohr Ha Torah and is a member of the Hebrew Club for CJDS Alumni. While a student at CJDS she used her talents for self-expression through poetry. Below was a poem she wrote in Fifth Grade.
I am I am creative and bright I wonder day and night I hear all of night I see colorful light I am creative and bright I pretend life is easy I feel quite queasy I worry every day
I cry for a fight I am creative and bright I understand the course of the world I say things of life I dream of things so steep I hope for peace I am creative and bright
Expressing Gratitude at the Jewish Preschool on Sardis (Continued from previous page) ciative that you chose to jump in and take on the challenge this year. Ms. Galia, thank you for your tender touch with our young kids. Your gentle tone, your Israeli heritage and your understanding of our families’ needs is unmatched. Ms. Jane, thank you for finding JPS at the perfect time. We love your experience, your playful nature and your enthusiasm you bring to each day. Ms. Jayme, thank you sharing your passion of all things Judaica. It is a special thing to have child after child request Ms. Jayme to escort him/her into the classroom at carpool. Ms. Jen, thank you for your dance parties, your potty dance, and your morning excitement as you greet each child that enters your room of fun. Ms. Kate, thank you for your dry wit and your dedication to JPS. After nearly two decades, you have a following of fans that span preschool through college now. Ms. Lisa, thank you for sticking by my side through so much growth and change over the past
few years at JPS. Our successes would not be without your support and help each and every day. Ms. Mindy, thank you for taking a quick inquiry to a position at JPS. Your love of those youngest kids at school sets the bar for infant care in Charlotte. Ms. Nancy, thank you for keeping our music program at JPS moving forward. We love the new tunes and the spirited music you bring each week in music time and our beloved Shabbat Send-off. Ms. Virginia, thank you for taking the leap of faith and helping us start and grow our infant program. You are the core that started it all and we could not have chosen a better person to get it running and thriving. Ms. Wanda, thank you for pushing through your education goals and matching that dedication with moving the field, JPS and your classroom forward. You are an inspiration to all who know you. How lucky I am this year for all the successes and support to keep JPS at the top of the early childhood education field. Wishing each of you the same all year long. Y
“What good is it to turn fifty with an unwrinkled face if there’s no light behind the eyes, no passion in the voice, no new ideas happening inside the head? Why hope to live a long life if we’re only going to fill it with self-absorption, body maintenance, and image repair? When we die, do we want people to exclaim, “She looked ten years younger,” or do we want them to say, “She lived a great life”? –Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Getting Over Getting Older
Does someone important in your life: w Appear to listen but not hear? w Have difficulty understanding with background noise? w Have difficulty following conversations in a group? w Speak louder than necessary? w Experience an annoying ringing in the ears? If you answered “Yes,” WE CAN HELP! Offering hearing evaluations for children and adults, hearing aid sales and service, auditory processing disorder evaluation and treatment.
Dr. Melissa Karp, Au.D, FAAA Board certified audiologist
1040 Edgewater Corporate Parkway, Indian Land, SC 29707
803-323-8909
(5 minutes from Ballantyne)
www.hearlistenlearn.com
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 10
CJP Celebrates the Holidays The children at CJP have been celebrating and learning all about the holidays during the Hebrew month of Tishrei. We learned how to blow the shofar, say I’m sorry to our friends, shake the lulav and etrog, and dance with the Torah. We visited the many sukkahs around Shalom Park and went to Temple Israel to look inside a Torah that was dressed up for the holidays in white. We searched in the Torah for Hebrew words we could recognize like “Moshe.� The holidays are filled with joy at CJP. Y
You are invited to
Look @Lat @Latin tin Take a closer c look, in a smaller sma aller group, DW &/6 LQQRYDWLRQV DW &/6 LQQRYDWLRQV arly Child: Beginnin ng School The Ea Early Beginning PEHU Č‚Č‚ S P 1RYHPEHU Č‚ S P Arts, Athletics, th hletics, Clubs and Enrichment: E Co-curricular Co o-curricular Life at Latin 1RYHPEHU Č‚ S P PEHU Č‚Č‚ S P STEAM:: S Students and tudents Create an nd Innovate -DQXDU\ D P Č‚ S P D P Č‚ S P
Application tion Deadline: January January 15, 2016 What Wh hat Makes Latin Sp Special: pecial: Developing op ping the Leader in Each Child )HEUXDU\ Č‚ S P XDU\ Č‚ S P
www.charlottelatin.org/LookAtLatin ch harlottelatin.org/Lo ookAtLatin
‌lives ‌li liives i wellll lilived i d ived www.charlottelatin.org www.charlottelat tin.org 9502 Providence P Road Charlotte, NC 28277 $GPLVVLRQV 2É?FH $GPLVVLRQV 2É?FH Financial Finan cial assistance is available. Please P inquire about the Malone Malone Scholarship for gifted students stu udents in Grades 7-12.
Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 11
JIE Features Mindfulness for Families Mark your calendar for another provocative parenting symposium from Joined In Education on February 10 and 11, 2016. The focus this year is Mindfulness and SelfRegulation. Integrating mindfulness in school curriculum as a tool has been found to decrease student anxiety and stress and to increase concentration, attention span, self-regulation, compassion, and self-esteem. Now in its fifth year, this twoday educational symposium is an event that parents and child care professionals look to as a valuable and well respected resource for quality programming. Between parents and professionals that attend this annual event, we believe that we affect 40-50,000 children and their families in the community each year. The keynote address will be given February 10 by Dr. Kristen Race, author of Mindful Parenting. Her talks and themes are riveting, integrating cognitive
Dr. Kristen Race
neuroscience and positive psychology with mindfulness. She shows how the brain functions under different conditions to help children and families become more resilient to the stresses of modern life. We will be having the keynote address and reception at Providence Day School again this
year. The following day, there will be two separate workshop tracks: morning sessions for parents anchored by Dr. Kristen Race and a second option for a full day workshop for educators and professionals led by Brad Chapin. Workshops will be held at Shalom Park. Mindfulness has been in the news quite frequently recently as reports demonstrate that understanding ones emotions and awareness of ones feelings helps learning in the classroom. More information and tickets go to www.joinedineducation.org or on Facebook www.facebook.com/joinedinedcuation. Contact Gale Osborne for more information at 704-366-4558 or gosborne@cjdschool.org. Y
Youth Visions Scott Fried Assures CHS Students – “You Are Enough” On November 18, the Hebrew High community will be privileged to hear from our friend Scott Fried. Scott will speak to our students and parents about his life’s journey from USY teen leader to HIV survivor. His openness about his own experiences gives students and parents the opportunity for frank dialog and new ways to bridge the generation gap. The core of Scott’s talk is that we are all “enough.” Even though it seems as though our secrets (and everybody has them) are overwhelming, we are created in God’s image and therefore we have value. We should not let the outside world dictate who we are, or should be. We are (good, smart, attractive, valuable) enough! Scott’s message, although aimed at teens, is a universal one. It is a message of tolerance, spirituality, and hope. Recent studies of the contemporary Jewish community have shown that supplementary schooling lasting seven or more years (well into the teen years) produces measurable, lasting effects, independent of other educational experiences. The combination of supplementary education with other adolescent programs (camp
Scott Fried
and Israel programs) enhances the chances of securing Jewish continuity. That’s what we do at Hebrew High and why your support is so important for our community. Programs like Scott Fried’s visit are especially important to teens whose families are struggling financially. It is the deep conviction of the CHS Advisory Board and the two sponsoring temples, that no student be turned away from Hebrew High due to an inability to afford the program. To that end, the Advisory Board has created an endowed scholarship fund that will help defray the cost of our program for students in need. You can help insure Jewish continuity by contributing to our scholarship fund. Please consider earmarking the funds for
Hebrew High when making donations in honor, or memory of a friend or loved one. Donations can be made through Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, or directly to the Consolidated High School of Jewish Studies office. When you give the gift of Jewish Education, you are investing in the future of the Jewish people. At Hebrew High, we prepare our students for the challenges they will face on college campuses and beyond. Help us make sure that no teen in Charlotte misses this opportunity. Please consider a gift to the CHS Scholarship Fund today. Please call Roz at 704-9446782 or email rcooper@shalomcharlotte.org for more information about donating to Hebrew High or enrolling your teen aged student. Y
Attention all 6th – 12th graders Join the Charlotte Jewish Teen Coalition – BBYO, Consolidated Hebrew High School, Levine JCC, NFTY and Gesher as we watch the final installment of the Hunger Games Movie, MockingJay Part 2. Find out what happens to Katniss and Peta before the rest of Charlotte sees the movie! The prescreening will take place Thursday evening, November 19 at the Regal Cinema Stonecrest at 7 PM. Canned goods will be collected for Jewish Family Services and Loaves and Fishes. Tickets are $10.50 and must be purchased online. For details contact egoldstein@bbyo.org and rcooper@shalomcharlotte.org Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 12
Ohavim BBG By Maddie Gorelick October was a very exciting month for Ohavim BBG. We kicked off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a great program centered on breast cancer awareness and fitness. We also held our Annual Mother-Daughter Breast Cancer Awareness dinner at Wan Fu. Held since our chapter’s founding, this yearly dinner has become a beloved tradition for all Ohavim sisters. While enjoying Chinese food, we listened to a special guest speaker, learned more about breast cancer, and held a raffle. The lucky winners walked away with a wide variety of goodies, and all of the proceeds were donated to support breast cancer research. This year, we are proud and excited to welcome eight new mem-
bers (and counting) into our sisterhood. The new members had a wonderful time making friends and learning all about BBYO at Eastern Region’s new member convention, MIT/AIT. At Camp Weaver, in Greensboro, they connected with teens in North Carolina and Virginia and came home ready to dive head first into BBYO. Between our chapter bake sale, meaningful programs, and welcoming new members, we are having a great year so far, bonding with our new sisters and strengthening our sisterhood. We are incredibly excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for Ohavim.Y
& CONGREGATIONS
SYNAGOGUES
Giant Balloon Menorah Lighting at StoneCrest Join us for an unbelievable experience and help us light Charlotte's first Balloon Menorah at StoneCrest for the second year in a row. Bring your family and friends for an amazing Chanukah night including games, activities, crafts, hot drinks, donuts and latkes. Tuesday, December 8, 5:30 PM At StoneCrest Shopping Center This event is free. Visit www.JewishBallantyne. com for more details.Y
CGI Ballantyne Winter Camp After our second incredible and successful summer, CGI Ballantyne is back and offering an amazing Winter Camp experience for your children. With activities, games, exciting Jewish themes, daily trips, crafts and much more,
The girls of Ohavim raising money for BBYO’s ISF Education Fund.
your children will have a blast every single day. Our handpicked staff are experienced, energetic and fun loving camp counselors, who love working with children. Monday through Friday, December 21-25, 9 AM-3:30 PM. Extended care available upon request. For children ages 3-11. Children will be split by age: Preschool, K - 3rd, 4th - 6th Pricing per child: Register for one day or for the entire week. $45 a day or $200 for the week (includes a hot kosher lunch each day).
Camp will be located at the Ballantyne Jewish Center, 8632 Bryant Farms Rd. To register, or for more information, contact Leah Levin, Leah@JewishBallantyne.com or 704-246-8881 or visit our website www.CGIBallantyne.com. (Continued on page 14)
Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 13
Fall Shabbaton November 20 at Ohr HaTorah As we get ready to greet the cold weather that winter brings, we invite you to be warmed at least spiritually at Chabad in Charlotte. There are a great many opportunities for people of all walks of life in Charlotte to find inspiration and meaning at the multitude of events at Chabad and its anchor synagogue – Ohr HaTorah. The Jewish Learning Institute on Journey of the Soul which began in the last week of October will last through the first week in December. The Shabbat Kiddush events are a joyous time for bonding and Jewish life building. November 20 is the day that the Fall Shabbaton will take place at
Ohr HaTorah. The Shabbaton brings together Jewish families in Charlotte who appreciate the extra touch of a joyful and meaningful Shabbat experience together. The Shabbaton features delicious homemade Shabbat dinner along with fun and games for the children and exciting Shabbat enter-
tainment for the adults. The Shabbaton program will begin at 5 PM with a Shabbat candle lighting ceremony followed by a lively Kabbalat Shabbat service. (Please arrive a bit early as Shabbat candle lighting time on Friday November 20, is 4:57 PM). The family Shabbat dinner will follow the service. A full wine bar featuring excellent Israeli wines will be available for the adults and great story telling for the children. The Ohr HaTorah Shabbatons have gained a reputation of a fantastic Shabbat program which is geared to excite the senses and awaken the soul to the inner joy of Judaism. Fee for Shabbaton is $20
Congregation Ohr HaTorah to Offer Two Year Hebrew Course for Adults Congregation Ohr HaTorah will begin offering this fall a twoyear beginning and intermediate course in Hebrew for adults. The instructor will be Dr. Jeffrey Poelvoorde, a professor of Political Science at Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, who has been a member of Ohr HaTorah since 2001. Dr. Poelvoorde has taught Hebrew at every level, from grade-school to university level and has tutored over fifty-one Bar and Bat Mitzvah students. The course will be aimed at two kinds of students: those who wish to improve their grammatical foundations and reading ability in Hebrew for the purpose of increasing their grasp of the Torah, Siddur and classical sources of the Jewish Tradition, and those who wish to improve their speaking
ability in conversation Modern Israeli Hebrew. The course will be taught on Thursday evenings from 7:309 PM at Congregation Ohr HaTorah, 6619 Sardis Rd., beginning on Thursday, October 29. Special features of the course are audio materials for conversational practice and for practice learning the
Spectacular Chanukah Celebration – SouthPark Mall Sunday, December 6 A great Menorah lighting event will take place inside SouthPark Mall on Sunday December 9, 5 PM. There will be Menorah cars, donuts, Chanukah gelt, and lots of children’s holiday activities. Please visit our website www.chabadnc.net. Y
proper pronunciation and grammar of almost all the major prayers in the traditional Siddur. The main textbook will be “HaYesod,” by Uveeler/ Bronznick, 8th Edition, published by Feldheim Publishers. Tuition is $175 per year or $36 per month. For more information, please contact Rabbi Cohen at Ohr HaTorah, 704366-3984, or email rabbicohen@chabadnc.org. Y
per person or $50 per family. This event is open to the entire community. For more information on the Shabbaton or all of our programs please visit our website at www.chabadnc.org. Y
Residential & Commercial Cleaning ~ Bonded & Insured ~ Majestytc@aol.com Majestycleaningmd.com Phone/Fax: 980-819-4088 Free Estimate
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 14
Shabbaton to Embrace Hebraic Poetry, Music, and Psalms Interactive Study Havurat Tikvah will hold a oneday Shabbaton on November 14, led by Student Rabbi/Musician Danny Moss. He will lead services at 10 AM at Avondale Presbyterian Church, MacLean Fellowship Hall, 2821 Park Rd., followed by a catered Kosher veggie/dairy/parve luncheon for members. The parshat for the week will be Toldot. Student Rabbi Moss will lead an interactive study session on the parshat during the services which will also incorporate special musical interpretations. That evening he will present a program at 7:30 PM on the Psalms at the home of Roslyn Mickelson and Steve Smith, 1330 Cedar Ln. Student Rabbi Moss will use the ancient Hebrew poetry as an exploration of the human condition, both during biblical times and the modern era. He will lead the gathering through selected Psalms, utilizing classic and modern melodies used in worship, lifecycle ritual, popular music, and more. Attendees will be able to capture the imagery and sophistication of this Hebrew poetry while experiencing its affect through musical settings. Refreshments will be provided by Havurat Tikvah members. Originally from Chicago, Student Rabbi Moss graduated from Oberlin College with degrees in
Jewish Studies and Comparative Religion. He studied at the University of Haifa from 2007-08 and in 2012 began his rabbinical training at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. He is now in his fourth year. Most recently, he served as a rabbinical intern at Temple Israel in Boston. Previous internships were at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, Cleveland, Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, and Temple Micah, Washington, DC, and more. While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Moss served as a teen tour guide in Israel and Europe. He has also completed a Clinical Pastoral Education unit. He has provided his services in hospital chaplaincy, as well as in community organizing. Additionally, he has received diverse awards in areas such as Jewish entrepreneurship and Jewish history. He is listed in LinkedIn’s Top 25 Rabbinical Students. Student Rabbi Moss serves on the JStreet Rabbinic Cabinet as a rabbinic student. Student Rabbi Moss has a plethora of musical talents. He is proficient in guitar, piano, trumpet, mandolin and hand percussion instruments. He has lent his voice to congregational work by serving as a song leader and cantorial soloist. In other news, the congregation will hold its annual Chanukah
party on December 13. More information will be made available in the next Charlotte Jewish News issue. Havurat Tikvah is a warm, supportive and nurturing Jewish Reconstructionist congregation with Shabbat services and a full spectrum of holiday observances, as well as religious educational options for both adults and children. We are a diverse group of families, singles, and Jewish and interfaith couples who participate in projects that promote social justice. We value and depend upon member participation and leadership for our religious services, spiritual growth, and governance. Havurat Tikvah is an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, In Association with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. For more information on upcoming services, programs, membership or other queries, call 980-225-5330, write to Havurat Tikvah, P.O. Box 12684, Charlotte, NC 28220, email membership@havurattikvah.org or visit havurattikvah.org. Havurat Tikvah is also on Facebook at
facebook.com/groups/havurattikvah/.Y
Camp Gan Israel Ballantyne Winter Camp (Continued from page 12)
Parent Testimonials from Summer Camp: “Thank you, Leah. CGI has been amazing. You guys do such a wonderful job.” “Thank you so much for an AMAZING camp experience … can't wait until next summer.” “Thank you for another wonderful week of CGI. My son totally enjoyed.” “Just so you know, our boys love camp and already told me tonight they wish it would go on forever instead of ending next week.” “My son is so delighted with camp, every day he tells me that it is the best camp ever and he wishes it was more than three weeks. I just wanted to say thank you for this amazing time that kids have in your camp.” Y
Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 15
Thanksgiving, Gratitude, and the Gifts of Reform Judaism By Rabbi Judy Schindler, Temple Beth El During this coming month, there will be two great assemblies of gratitude. Early in the month, a group of about twenty Beth El congregants will travel to Orlando to connect with thousands of Reform Jews at our national Biennial Convention. We will celebrate our successes of the past and present as we envision our future and continually strive to create vibrant Jewish communities across the country. Later in the month, many of us will gather around our respective tables for the national holiday of Thanksgiving. Author and American Jewish thinker, Dennis Prager, called Thanksgiving “An American Yom Tov.” He added, “It says an immense amount about America that it long ago created a national holiday just for the purpose of giving thanks—one which American Jews should celebrate with particular enthusiasm.” Historians claimed that the prayers of gratitude the pilgrims were said to have uttered upon arriving on our land are steeped in Jewish practice. In coming to this new land, rituals evolved for offering gratitude and creating community that would include our upcoming national holiday which so many of us savor. During this month of Thanksgiving, our Reform community will similarly stop and reflect on some of the great innovations that
we as a Reform movement have brought to the American landscape: Outreach – In 1978, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, of blessed memory, radically changed the course of our movement by passionately proposing to the movement’s Board of Trustees that we tear down the metaphoric “not wanted” signs on our hearts and on synagogue doors and warmly welcome interfaith families and Jews-by-Choice into our midst. He had a vision for the countless ways in which interfaith families would strengthen the fabric of our congregations. From that moment forward, the Reform Movement has become known for its inclusive stance as tens of thousands of interfaith families have chosen to raise their children as Jews in our midst. Ritual innovation – From Germany, we brought to this country a commitment to continually evolve all aspects of worship and ritual to best enhance the
lives of Jews in every generation. Today at Beth El, that manifests itself with new liturgies, with a broadened musical experience and with the use of technology to increase participation including streaming services so that the homebound can pray with us, to projecting transliteration to songs and offering creative readings. We also replicated the German innovation of Consecration for our youngest students to celebrate the start of their study of Torah and Confirmation for our High School students to keep them on the path to meaningful Jewish learning and living. Prophetic Judaism and Social Justice – These elements have been pillars of our American liberal Judaism from the inception of our movement on this continent. Provocative rabbinic sermons have and continue to be shared from Reform pulpits from opposing Southern slavery to supporting the Civil Rights Movement in the past to immigrant rights and racial justice today. Countless congregants through the past century and a half have focused their energies not only inside the sanctuary but outside in the world as they engaged in the work of the world’s repair. This month, Reform Jews will gather in our large national assembly and in the smaller sanctuaries of our homes to offer gratitude. We are most grateful for the way that Reform Judaism has
Chanukah Extravaganza and Artists Bazaar Coming to Temple Kol Ami Mark your calendars for December 12, 4-7 PM, when Temple Kol Ami of Fort Mill, SC, will host a Chanukah Extravaganza complete with games, crafts, music, chocolate gelt, and an Artists Bazaar. Last year was amazingly successful, and we plan to have an even bigger and better event this year. Join us for activity stations including Chanukah snow globes, holiday card-making, sufganyot filling, dreidel games, jewelry making, menorah con-
struction, and so much more. There will also be a cartoonist to draw your portrait, and, of course, latkes galore. This year we are excited to add an Artists Bazaar to our Chanukah celebration. Come check out the beautiful handmade creations of potters, painters, and more, maybe even pick up a holiday gift or two. If you are an artist who would like to show your artistic wares (for free), please contact us at yorksynagogue@gmail.com.
Following the Extravaganza, we will have a lovely Chanukah dinner and light our menorahs (make sure to bring yours). Dinner is free for Temple Kol Ami members and $10 for non-members. Chanukah Extravaganza is free and open to the public, so join us for all the festivities and Dreidel on Until the Gelt’s All Gone. For more information, check out our website at www.templekolamisc. org.Y
and continues to proudly share its voice with our country through outreach, innovation, and through acts that bring healing to our world. Y
WORK WITH A LEADER IN CHARLOTTE REAL ESTATE
EXECUTIVE REALTY
704-926-2544 office 704-975-8500 cell www.LepowRealtors.com
MEG D. GOLDSTEIN ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
ESTATE PLANNING, ESTATE AND TRUST ADMINISTRATION, PRE-MARITAL AGREEMENTS, CHARITABLE PLANNING AND ENTITIES, GENERAL CORPORATE AND TAX LAW, BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING 5960 FAIRVIEW ROAD, SUITE 400 CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28210 TEL: 704.523.2202 w FAX: 704.496.2716 MGOLDSTEIN@MGOLDLAW.COM w WWW.MGOLDLAW.COM
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 16
Temple Solel Leader Honored by the URJ Russ Cobe, one of two lay leaders of services for Temple Solel in Fort Mill, has been invited to co-lead a Friday morning service at this year’s URJ Biennial in Orlando. Temple Solel affiliated with the URJ earlier this year, and Cobe will be the congregation’s first representative at a Biennial. Shortly after the four-year-old congregation joined the URJ, both Russ and fellow lay leader Edie Yakutis attended and graduated from a week-long Had’racha in Wisconsin for lay leader training. While there, Russ was recorded leading a service. Shortly thereafter, the URJ came to Fort Mill to video them leading a service for Temple Solel. The result was an invitation for Russ to be one of only two lay leaders in the entire U.S. to lead a service at the Biennial. The Biennial will draw up to 5,000 attendees from approxi-
mately 900 congregations across the U.S. and Canada. It is the largest gathering of Reform Jews in North America. Russ, a native of Bedford, MA, is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a double major in Music Composition and Judeo-Christian Studies. He moved to North Carolina in 2002 and joined Temple Solel after attending the congregation’s first High Holy Day services three years Russ Cobe leading services at Temple Solel. ago. In making the announcement of this very high cated, knowledgeable, and talhonor, Temple Solel President ented. The recognition Russ has James Fox said, “We, as a congre- earned is totally warranted.” Temple Solel holds Shabbat gation, are truly blessed with two of the most outstanding Lay Lead- services every second and fourth ers any congregation could ask Fridays at St. Philip Neri Catholic for. Both Edie and Russ are dedi- Church, in the Community Room of the Ministry Center, in Fort Mill. To learn more about this new, thriving congregation, go to their website at www.templesolelsc.org. Y
Annual MeckMin Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Please join us for the 40th Annual Citywide MeckMin Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. St. Paul Baptist Church, 1401 Allen St. Tuesday, November 24 7 PM service, 6:45 prelude Guest preacher, Reverend Dr. Todd Yeary Join the Thanksgiving choir. Singers of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. For more information or to sign up to sing, visit MeckMin.org. Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - October 2015 - Page 17
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 18
Jewish Family Services JFS Annual Family to Family Campaign Closes November 30 Thank you to the families who have already made their donations and pledges to this year’s campaign. Your gift to the 2015 annual Family to Family campaign allows members of the Jewish community to receive the help they need when they need it, and the skills to help themselves moving forward. From therapeutic groups for adults facing relationship issues, to counseling for a pre-teen starting middle school, to parenting classes and workshops for fami-
lies, to providing companionship for a senior living with Alzheimer’s, the positive and pervasive impact of JFS can be felt everywhere. Financial assistance, counseling, senior outreach, and family life education are just some of the ways that Jewish Family Services uses your gift to restore hope, dignity, and meaning when life’s struggles appear insurmountable. Your tax-deductible gift to the annual Family to Family campaign makes a local, personal, and
enduring impact by improving the lives of people facing financial instability, emotional, and mental health issues and the numerous other challenges that each of us encounters throughout our lives. Our annual campaign closes November 30. Payments are not due until December 31 and are 100% tax-deductible.
This is our last opportunity to ask for your help. Volunteers will be making calls on Sunday morning, November 15. Please save us a call and make your pledge or payment today either online at jfscharlotte.org, by phone at 704.364.6594 or by mail to JFS, 5007 Providence Road, Suite 105, Charlotte, NC 28226. Y
Beat the rush for Chanukah shopping from the comfort of your own home, plus support JFS with your purchases. For five days, November 19-24, JFS will be holding our annual online auction at www.jfsauction.com. Here’s just a sampling of what’s available - start bidding November 19.
w Disney Hopper Tickets w Dressler’s w Dick’s Sporting Goods w Publix w College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer w Jim Corey CPA w Midas Fabrics w Maid Brigade w Window Genie w S&D Coffee w Start 2 Finish w Charlotte Parenting Solutions with Wendy Petricoff
A LIFETIME OF LEARNING BEGINS WITH A WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS. Charlotte Prep understands children are inherently hungry to learn. Our child-centered focus and innovative approach to education ensures that each one of our children reaches their full potential. Visit us today : charlotteprep.org | 704-366-5994
Need more ideas for gifts? GoPlaySave Coupon Books make great holiday gifts Great gifts for teachers, service providers, friends and family on your holiday list. Stop by JFS to pick up your book for only $30. Savings are good through November 30, 2016.Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 19
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 22
JFS Volunteers Thank you to the following people who contributed their time to Jewish Family Services in August. Volunteers: Rick Abrams, Ben and Susan Aizenman, Linda Babich, Marcia Borden, Dan Coblenz, Jennifer Collman, Andrea Cronson, Sheryl Effren, Mel & Caren Frank, Robert Friedman, Gail Halverson, Becca Horner, Tara Hubara, Robert Jacobson, Karen Knoble, Pete & Rachael
Levine, Matt Luftglass, Helene Moll, Frada Mozenter, Margaret Musa, Debbie Porter, Barbara Rein, Jenny Rosenthal, Bill Schwartz, Lisa Shporer, Janice Shubin, Harry Sparks, Jeff & Stacy Strauch, Amalia Warshenbrot, Mike Weinberg Hadassah Cooks: Barbara Abrams, Phyllis Berlin, Bonnie Berman, Margie Bower, Gladys Cherny, Milly Corday, Aleen Epstein, Mary Gordan, June
Hirschmann, Fran Kaplan, Judy Kaufmann, Penny Krieger, Andy McCleary, Sharel Persin, Phyllis Romaine, Leigh Rose, Fran Schuler, Joyce Stoll, Lynda White Food Pantry Donations: Temple Israel and Temple Beth El Congregants, CJDS, Coblenz Family, Lois Gatland, Hannah Kaunitz , Penny Krieger, Gary Lewis, Bill Schwartz, Stephanie Thompson Y
Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Resource Center Rhythm, Rhyme, and Storytime Welcome, Little Learners! You are invited to a free, new program created for our youngest library patrons. Rhythm, Rhyme, and Story Time— which will be offered by the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library—is a program designed for children nine months to three years and parents/caregivers. In addition to lively, age-appropriate stories, we will share finger plays, rhythm movement, dancing, singing, and exploration of musical instruments. After organized activities, there will be time for play, socialization, and library exploration. These experiences create the perfect opportunity for fun-filled learning as you watch
your child develop social skills, creative thinking, rhythm, language skills, listening skills, and gross motor skills. Rhythm, Rhyme, and Story time is free. To register or for more information on dates and times, please contact Debby Block at 704-9446780 or dblock@shalomcharlotte.org Y
What Makes the Library So Special? The Levine-Sklut Judaic Library is a special place. It is: * A Place for Joy and Discovery * A Place for Learning and Literacy * A Place for Sharing and Storytelling * A Place for Reading and Research * A Place for Jewish Knowledge * A Place for Meeting and finding Meaning * A Place Jewish History and Culture * A Place for Studying and Tutoring * A Place for Fun, friends, coffee (or a lollipop), AND * A Place for you! “We LOVE the Library! What a wonderful resource for the community. It is our family’s homework spot several days of the week. We are always welcomed with a warm smile and a kind word … thank you for giving my kids a safe place to practice independence in their learning … we love you Levine-Sklut Judaic Library!” —-Inna Manoim “I wanted some answers to my questions about Judaism. When I discovered the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library it seemed like ‘the gates opened.’ There were books on Judaism, Israel, fiction, DVDs; it is all there. I am so glad I entered those doors.” —Leonard Marco Here are just a few of the things that your donations help the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library to provide: * Harry Golden Tribute: Book
and Author Event with biographer Kimberly Harnett * Community-wide Yom HaShoah Event with scholar-in-residence, Professor Menachem Rosensaft * Acquisition of hundreds of new books (from childrens books to scholarly texts) * Storytime for over 600 children * Book and Author Events for Children and for Adults * Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning * Jewish Educators’ Conference and year-round support for Jewish teachers * Summer Reading Incentive program for all children * Shalom Park Freedom School: Six Weeks! Six Books! Program: Providing 1,000 gently-used books to SPFS scholars * PJ Library programming * Book clubs * No membership fees, no overdue fees “Love the Library” annual fundraising campaign is currently looking to meet the goal of $17,000. Every little bit makes a big difference. Please show your love by making a tax-deductible donation today. With your charitable contribution, the Library can continue to be a vibrant and meaningful place for all. Donations may be made by going to www.LSJL.org and clicking on the red “Donate” button or by sending a check to LevineSklut Judaic Library, 5007 Providence Road, Suite 107, Charlotte, NC 28226.Y
Thank you for allowing JFS to honor your friends and loved ones. WISHING A FULL AND SPEEDY RECOVERY TO Leigh Jacobson from Joel and Wendy Kweskin Alvin Levine from Paula S. Musler HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO Ben and Sue Aizenman from Alan and Ruth Goldberg Scott and Dana Gorelick from Carol Gorelick Rod and Pauline Joseph from Sam and Ollie Polk HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Zachary Gorelick from Carol Gorelick Henry Hirschmann from Abe and Bette Bober, Ruth Brandt and Bill Cassell, and Eugene and Alice Kavadlo Marvin Shapiro from Mark and Harriet Perlin MAZEL TOV ON The wedding of Devorah Weiss from Leah Porter
Library storytime with Miss Linda. Rhythm, Rhyme & Story time
Jewish Family Services Donations in August 2015 IN MEMORY OF Faye Berman, mother of Helene Levine, from Gary and Janie Levinson Bob Fink, husband of Nancy Fink, from Gary and Janie Levinson Martin, husband of Jelena Franklin, from your friends and neighbors in Darby Hall Vivian Jacobs to Helene and Saul Nathanson from Joel and Wendy Kweskin, Sandra Lipkowitz, Joan Palitz Fern Pomerantz to Richard Pomerantz from William and Debra Porter The Grandfather of Lauren Sherman from William and Debra Porter Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 23
Echo Foundation Honors Ben Bernanke Inaugural Recipient of the Levine Medal of Honor; Presented by Sandra & Leon Levine On September 17, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was honored by The Echo Foundation as the inaugural recipient of The Levine Medal of Honor, presented for his courage and leadership throughout the recent economic crisis. Bernanke presented the keynote speech at the event at McGlohon Theater in Spirit Square which was followed by a reception at the Luski-Gorelick Center for Philanthropy on Tryon Street.
Leon Levine presents The Levine Medal of Honor to Ben Bernanke. Photo courtesy of David Stokes.
Leon and Sandra Levine Photo courtesy of Daniel Coston Ellen Goldberg and her daughter Karinne Bernanke
Leon and Howard Levine. Photo courtesy of Daniel Coston.
Larry and Dale Polsky Photo courtesy of Daniel Coston
Nancy Kipnis with her son, Josh.
Karinne Bernanke, Ben Bernanke, Seth Bernanke, and Ellen Goldberg
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 24
Hadassah’s “Celebrate the Tatas” In just four years, over $180,000 raised toward breast cancer research. Dressler’s Restaurant created a scrumptious luncheon and a silent auction added to The Little Reveal’s events. Moira Quinn was the Guest Speaker and spoke about her own cancer journey. In just four years Celebrate the TaTas has raised over $180,000 towards Breast Cancer Research at Hadassah Medical Organizations Hospital. Locally mammograms for the uninsured have been offered through a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte. In addition, this year Celebrate the TaTas invited their guests to donate wigs for uninsured cancer patients. Y
Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 25
At Thanksgiving Time, Making a Leap to Feed the Needy By Edmon J. Rodman Los Angeles (JTA) - As we prepare for our Thanksgiving feasts, a 90-year-old Jewish man named Arnold Abbott is stirring the pot in Fort Lauderdale about hunger and homelessness in America. Or is it that Abbott, who in defiance of a controversial new city ordinance has been cited several times for feeding the homeless outdoors, is just asking us to pay more than lip service to our Jewish ideals? The ordinance limits where outdoor feeding sites can be located and requires permits. Groups must provide portable toilets and hand-washing stations. And like a restaurant, they must maintain the food at precisely prescribed temperatures. “I believe I am my brother’s keeper,” Abbott told the SunSentinel recently. “I’m Jewish, and in Judaism they say that if you save one person, you save the world.” His organization’s name, Love Thy Neighbor, is found in Leviticus. Mulling Abbott’s words, as I shop for Thanksgiving, I wonder: As we have acclimated ourselves to a night of secular feasting, have we also integrated into our celebration Jewish ideas about hospitality and to “not stand idly by”? Sure, I can find kosher turkeys, stuffing and cranberry sauce stocked on the supermarket shelves, but how will all that save even one person? Looking for an answer, I spoke
Throughout the year, and with Susan Baigelman, who a especially during the holiday few miles inland from where season - at Thanksgiving Abbott distributes hot meals they try to have turkeys to on the Fort Lauderdale beach give - the pantry’s efforts are runs the WECARE Food supported by the local JewPantry. ish community, which organThe pantry, whose home is izes food drives and the Soref Jewish Community contributes funding. Center in Plantation, FL, “Hunger never takes a vaserves about 10,000 people a cation,” said Baigelman, year, giving out 3,500 bags of who unknowingly was also nonperishable groceries supreminding me how that “one plemented with fresh fruit and person” is saved. vegetables, as well as bread As to Abbott’s efforts and donated by a local bakery. the attention they are being Each bag is valued between given, Baigelman said he $40 and $50, Baigelman told was bringing “awareness” to me. the situation. Among the people the proIt has. gram serves are “seniors, Besides the headlines, and Holocaust survivors, people Steven Colbert lampooning living on fixed income and the city, on the other side of single parents with children,” the country, in San Diego, she said. Also, the disabled, people with mental health is- Susan Baigelman, who runs a food pantry out of just days after Abbott besues, and the unemployed, as the Soref JCC in Plantation, Fla., says that those comes national news, Rabbi well as those who are working. who come to the pantry “could be your next door Yael Ridberg in an online Baigelman, who has di- neighbor or sit at the desk across from you.” “Torah Talk” saw a parallel between Abbott’s actions and rected the program for over 12 (Fran Stempel) that of one of the forefathers. years and says she knows Ab“I felt for a moment that I bott, has learned that those who come to the pantry may not Baigelman, adding that some of was reading a modern-day story be who you expect. the pantry’s clients are “sleeping of Abraham,” wrote Ridberg of the Reconstructionist Congrega“They could be your next door in their car.” neighbor or sit at the desk across “We need to help people move tion Dor Hadash. When I spoke with her, Ridberg from you,” she said. “We get peo- forward,” she said. “I wish I was ple who say ‘I never thought I out of a job because nobody explained that in the Torah portion Vayera, Abraham is sitting in his would be doing this. I used to do- would be hungry anymore.” nate.’” The Long Island native, who tent in the heat of the day, and as After paying rent or their mort- has lived in Florida for 35 years, three strangers approach he “leaps gage, the electricity, and medical adds, “Don’t you think Baigelman up” and “runs to greet his guests.” “It didn’t matter what was expenses, people are having trou- is a good name to run a food going on his life; he had guests to ble making ends meet, said pantry? It was bashert.”
attend to,” she said. Listening to the rabbi, I saw the parallel: Abbott in his way was leaping up, too, and that feeding the hungry in public was his own take on hospitality. Abbott “has a certain calling to feed the hungry,” even though he lives in a city that “has told him, and everyone else, this is against the law,” Ridberg said. “He is not deterred. “Our Torah teaches us that we are to take care of the poor, the stranger, the widow,” and that “we are obligated to remember the heart of the stranger,” she said. “To just arrest a 90-year-old man for feeding the hungry and not address the underlying issues that have caused hunger and homelessness in America, I think is not the whole equation. How about getting more resources to the local homeless shelters?” And what about providing more food and support, I thought, especially before Thanksgiving, to the programs run by Abbott and Baigelman, as well as to others across the country who feed the hungry? Later, rolling through the supermarket, I realized that to save that one person, I would need to make my own leap. Y (Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.)
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 26
At Thanksgiving Time, an Exercise in Mindfulness By Cindy Sher Chicago (JTA) - Last year, for a month before Thanksgiving I jotted down one thing for which I was grateful every night before I went to bed. Here are some of the 30 blessings I recorded: • A warm bed. • Airplanes that fly me to visit my family for Thanksgiving. • A baby bundled in a puffy coat and a hat with teddy bear ears, toddling down the street with his parents. • Employing my three little nephews as sous chefs/marshmallow tasters as we made sweet potato casserole together on Thanksgiving. • An old couple holding hands. • Refuge from a snowstorm. • A cheap dinner out with even cheaper wine shared with priceless friends. • Cyndi Lauper (after I went to her concert). • Shabbat. And the list went on. I loved the exercise, helping me to be mindful every day that month — and beyond — for how much I am grateful for. Even on the hard days, and even amid a backdrop of a lot of pain in the world, remembering our blessings makes us appreciate the beauty, wonder, and magic of life. It’s funny, but I didn’t record any big, expensive stuff on the list. In fact, very few of the items cost even a penny. It’s so often the small, fleeting
Cindy Sher (JUF News)
moments that are the biggest and most beautiful, and the ones that stay with us. Gratitude lies at the heart of who we are as Jews. We’re supposed to express thanks to God for waking up every day, for the souls we embody, for the bread we eat, for the wine we drink, for the illness or danger we survive - and for so much more. Just as gratitude lies at the heart of who we are as Jews, mindfulness lies at the heart of gratitude. The great Jewish sage Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel talked about mindfulness in this famous quote: “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement,” he said. “Get up every morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”
Over the High Holidays, I read a slim and poignant book that matched my reflective Jewish head-space of the season. In The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things, Rabbi Steven Leder writes about appreciating all that’s extraordinary in our ordinary lives through a Jewish lens. As we get older, Leder said, we lose our sense of awe and wonder. “When we look back at the calendar of our lives how many pages are worth saving?” Leder writes. “We schedule our business appointments — mastering the lessons of time management and efficiency. But do we really manage our time well? Have we celebrated with our children? Have we visited our aging parents and grandparents or made that phone
call to the friend whose loved one is sick? Have we hugged each other enough? Do our children, our parents, our brothers and sisters, our partners in love and life, know what they mean to us?” Leder references a Hasidic story in which a rebbe asks his followers where God exists. “Everywhere,” his disciples respond. “No,” the rabbi replies. “God exists only where we let God in.” In the broader culture, various forms of meditation are hotter than ever, where we let go of our day-to-day stresses and noise, at least for a moment, and be more mindful and intentional in our lives. In my favorite movie last year, a British love story called “About
Time,” the protagonist possesses the power of time travel and is able to relive the same moment more than once. By the end of the film, he realizes that it’s better not to relive moments but to appreciate every moment the first time around. Soon, we’ll all sit down for Thanksgiving once again, a national holiday that seems like an extension of the High Holidays because it focuses on themes of gratitude so prominent in Jewish values. Let’s all give thanks for the moments — the extraordinary and the ordinary — because we’ll only live them once. Y (Cindy Sher is executive editor of the Chicago’s JUF News, where this piece originally appeared.)
Did Sukkot Help Shape Thanksgiving? By Robert Gluck/JNS.org According to one of the foremost experts on American Judaism, Dr. Jonathan Sarna, the biblical holiday did not exactly guide the Puritans’ thinking during colonial times, but they were generally influenced by the idea of thanking God for their bounty. “The Puritans did not believe in fixed holidays,” Sarna—the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and chief historian of the Philadelphia-based National Museum of American Jewish History—told
JNS.org. “If it was a good season, they would announce a thanksgiving, but it’s not like the Jewish holiday which occurs on the 15th of the month of Tishrei (Sukkot). They did not believe in that. So in that respect it’s different.” In terms of thanking God for a bountiful harvest, the Puritans did learn that from the Bible, Sarna said. “They knew what they called the Old Testament, what we call the Hebrew Bible, they knew it, and they were influenced by it,” he said. “Now they didn’t go out and build huts, obviously. But the
notion that one would be thankful for a bountiful harvest was certainly one they would have learned from the Hebrew Bible.” Thanksgiving did not become a fixed holiday in America until President Abraham Lincoln declared it as such in 1863. The holiday also did not have a firm date until Congress established one— the fourth Thursday of each November—in 1941. Although “you’ll commonly read all over the place” about the connection between Thanksgiving and Sukkot, Sarna said that (Continued on page 29)
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 27
DINING OUT, CATERING & HOSPITALITY $2 OFF Please let our advertisers know you saw their ad in The Charlotte Jewish News
Any Purchase of $10 or more with this ad Only 1 coupon per transaction. Expires 12/31/15
Mike Sadri Arboretum Shopping Center
704-541-5099 fax: 704-541-5989
“A SouthPark Tradition of Excellence� SouthPark at Phillips Place
Where Families Come Together w Featuring 124 beautifully decorated guest rooms and suites conveniently located in Phillips Place w Complimentary amenities include: Hot breakfast, internet access, transportation to Shalom Park w Hospitality Suite w Great Room: Special rates available for Friday night dinner Photo courtesy of ArtShots Photography
For more information, contact: Erin.Dennis@hilton.com Hampton Inn & Suites SouthPark at Phillips Place, Charlotte, NC 28210 704-319-5700 www.hamptonsouthpark.com
To advertise in the Dining Out, Catering & Hospitality section of The Charlotte Jewish News, contact one of our sales representatives: Jodi Valenstein, 704-609-0950 Scott Moskowitz, 704-906-2474
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 28
131
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 29
Sukkot-Thanksgiving Connection (Continued from page 26)
Diana Muir Applebaum—a Massachusetts-based historian who wrote the book Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History—set him straight on the subject when he consulted with her. Applebaum believes there is always some difficulty in discovering the “first” of anything. “The Separatists at Plymouth did not create an annual holiday [of Thanksgiving],” Applebaum told JNS.org. “Rather, a holiday that grew in popularity and stabilized into an annual celebration over the course of several decades was later traced back to an event that took place at Plymouth in December 1621. The thesis of my book on Thanksgiving is that it is a holiday rooted in the deeply held convictions of the New England settlers, and in the human love of a holiday.” But did the Bible have any influence on the Puritans’ festival of thanks? Applebaum explained that the Puritans separated the laws of the Hebrew Bible into two categories. “Some were deemed moral commandments, these applied to all men, at all times,” she said. “The others were regarded as ceremonial or temporal commandments, which applied only to Jews, or only to the olden days, but not to Christians.” For Puritans, the Sabbath was an eternal, moral commandment
applying to Christians, but they considered Sukkot, Passover, Shavout, kashruth, and other laws to be ceremonial or temporal commandments, not intended by God to apply to the children of the new covenant, Christians. Puritan theology “supported the proclamation of special days of prayer when unusual events occurred,” Applebaum said. “In the event, for example, of an epidemic, drought, or famine, it was appropriate to call a special day of prayer and fasting in the hope that if the people repented, God would grant relief,” she said. “In the event that God did grant a special providence, such as the lifting of a drought or famine, a special day of prayer and thanksgiving would be proclaimed.” There were robust debates among the Puritans in the mid1600s over the propriety of issuing a proclamation of a day of thanksgiving every autumn. Was an ordinary harvest a routine event, or was it a special providence? “[People feared that] proclaiming a day of thanksgiving every autumn might ‘harden the people in their carnal confidence’ of God’s grace, and people might begin to take God’s gifts for granted,” Applebaum said. “If a proclamation was expected every year, how was it different from the unbiblical Catholic error of creating fixed annual holidays? On the
other hand, [some thought] God’s great bounty in sending the harvest was surely worthy of thanksgiving. And people like holidays. In years when the General Court (the Massachusetts legislature) failed to proclaim a day of thanksgiving, individual congregations sometimes did.” After 1676 in Connecticut, and by the 1690s in Massachusetts, the government of each of those colonies proclaimed a special day of prayer and thanksgiving every autumn. It was celebrated by families returning home to celebrate, with special dishes (mince pie and plum pudding) eaten at Christmas in old England, and with events like ballgames on the village green that would have been inappropriate violations of a Sabbath day. But there are those like Rabbi Elias Lieberman, leader of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation in Massachusetts, who see a stronger biblical influence on Thanksgiving. “While we cannot be certain about what motivated those Pilgrim settlers to initiate a feast of thanksgiving, it is likely that they consciously drew on a model well-known to them from the Bible they cherished,” Lieberman told JNS.org. “Seeing themselves as new Israelites in a new ‘promised land,’ the Pilgrims surely found inspiration in the Bible, in the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, in which God commands the ancient Israelites to observe the Feast of Booths—in
Hebrew, Sukkot, ‘To rejoice before Adonai your God’ at the time of the fall harvest.” The fact that Jews eat in temporary structures during Sukkot “is a reminder of the booths in which their ancestors are said to have dwelled during their 40-year Sinai sojourn,” Lieberman noted. The sukkah is also a powerful reminder “of the many reasons for which we feel grateful to God, not the least of which is for the other 51 weeks of the year most of us are blessed to have solid roofs over our heads, clothes to wear, and food to fill our bellies,” he said. “Such was not always the case for the Pilgrims, who often contended with illness, meager rations, disappointed hopes, and death,” Lieberman said. “During that very hard winter before the first Thanksgiving, it is recorded that food became so scarce in some settlements that the daily ration of food per person per day was five kernels of corn. In order to remember those harsh times and maintain their gratitude for the plenty they now enjoyed, some New Englanders started the custom of putting five kernels of corn on each plate at their feast.” Applebaum said that by the 1700s, Thanksgiving was a holiday throughout New England, and that it spread west with the migration of New Englanders. Settlers from New England largely populated the top third of the states, starting with Ohio and rolling west, she explained.
“Because New England had a precocious public school system, it also disproportionately supplied schoolteachers, ministers, lawyers, journalists, and shopkeepers to the entire country, north, south, and west,” Applebaum said. “This helped spread the popularity of Thanksgiving when these New England-born thought leaders backed the early 19th century campaign led by Sarah Hale to make Thanksgiving a national holiday,” she said. “Thanksgiving proclamations were issued by state governors.” During the Civil War era, southerners associated the concept of a thanksgiving holiday with Yankee abolitionists, and therefore the holiday “did not become popular in the South until the end of the 19th century,” according to Applebaum. Whether or not its formation was actually influenced by Sukkot, the parallels between the holidays serve as meaningful symbolism for individuals like Rabbi Lieberman. “Both of these splendid holidays encourage us to stop and acknowledge the manifold blessings God bestows upon us each and every day,” Lieberman said. “Whether we accomplish that stock-taking over a slice of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie or beneath the leafy branches of a sukkah roof—or both—we understand and embrace the impulse which inspired our Pilgrim and our Israelite ancestors.” Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 30
Israelis Growing Hungry for Vegan Diet By Ben Sales Tel Aviv (JTA) - The music pounded, the liquor flowed, dancers filled the floor, and khinkali meat dumplings and kababi skewers - staples of traditional Georgian cuisines - sat on almost every table. That was back in February, before Nana Shrier, the owner of the hip Tel Aviv bar and restaurant Nanuchka, saw a television news report about factory farming. Then everything changed. Abhorred by how animals are treated in industrial meat and dairy production, Shrier stripped all the animal products from the menu - from cheese to eggs to chicken and steak - and made the restaurant entirely vegan. It wasn’t an easy shift. Retaining the restaurant’s Georgian character has forced Shrier to get creative, finding meat substitutes and trying new dishes. She has also noticed that customers order less hard alcohol when they don’t eat meat. But none of that matters to her. “We understood that there’s no price worth paying to create animal products, to see, to sell, to produce or to buy them,” she said. “The atmosphere is pleasant, but I would have paid any price. I would have lost half my business for this.” According to the activist group Vegan-Friendly, Shrier is one of approximately 300,000 vegans in Israel. At nearly 4% of the country, activists say Israel has the
pany has sold about highest per capita vegan 300,000 vegan pizzas population of anywhere since launching the pie in the world. And the last year. trend appears to be acIsrael’s vegan boom celerating. comes at a time of heightA survey conducted ened awareness of animal in January found that 8% welfare on factory farms. of Israelis are vegetarian A Hebrew-subtitled and nearly 5% are lecture on veganism has vegan. Four years ago, garnered nearly a million Israel’s Central Bureau views on YouTube in a of Statistics reported that country of just 8 million just 2.6% of Israelis people. One-fifth of the were vegetarian or country tuned in to see a vegan. vegan activist win the latSome 7,000 Israelis have accepted the “Chal- Popular foods like falafel have gained Israel an interna- est season of the Israeli lenge 22” to go vegan tional reputation as a vegan-friendly country. (Orel version of the “Big Brother” reality televifor 22 days since the ini- Cohen/Flash90 ) sion show. And a popular tiative was launched in May by the animal rights group tival. “In the past, maybe they investigative news show has Anonymous (no connection to the were more spiritual, or people so- broadcast six segments exposing hacker collective). About 250 Is- ciety viewed as a little different, a the mistreatment of animals in Israeli restaurants are now certified little strange. A lot of the new ve- rael’s meat and dairy industries. The heightened consciousness “vegan friendly” by the group of gans are mainstream - vegan the same name, meaning that at lawyers, vegan teachers. Every- around animal welfare has bolstered vegan activists. Founded least one-quarter of their dishes one can be vegan.” The alternative and the main- just two years ago, Vegancontain no animal products. Israel is also frequently in- stream mingled freely at the festi- Friendly has seen attendance at its cluded on lists of the world’s most val, where people wearing baggy festival jump 25 percent this year. Another animal rights group vegan-friendly nations, thanks in tie-dyed pants and shirts reading part to the fact that national sta- “Proud To Be Vegan” mixed with founded two years ago, Free 269, recently opened Israel’s first sancples like falafel and hummus con- families enjoying picnics. The food stands lining the park tuary for animals from factory tain no animal products. And on Monday, Tel Aviv’s second annual offered everything from vegan farms and has spawned dozens of Vegan-Fest drew more than cakes and ice cream to vegan offshoots in other countries. “There’s the virality of Face10,000 attendees to a festival of shwarma, Israel’s trademark book and YouTube, so the mesfood, crafts and music that organ- spiced lamb dish. Even Domino’s Pizza had a sages and the pictures and videos izers claim is the world’s largest. “The makeup of the commu- booth showcasing its vegan pies - are exposed to tons of people,” nity is the biggest change,” said first sold in Israel. Ido Fridman, Paz said. “It helps that people are Omri Paz, founder of Vegan- the vice president of marketing for used to eating falafel and Israeli Friendly, which organized the fes- Domino’s Israel, said the com- salad.”
Israeli veganism took root in secular liberal circles, but religious Israelis are joining the movement, too. Many note that the biblical Adam and Eve were vegetarians in the Garden of Eden. Yehuda Shein, the chairman of Behemla, a religious organization that advocates against animal cruelty, says he is undeterred by the time-honored custom of eating meat on Shabbat and holidays. “There’s no commandment to eat meat,” Shein said. “People make their own adjustments. They stop eating meat, they do something else. But our goal is to bring the information to the public.” Veganism is not entirely a new development in Israel. The African Hebrew Israelites have abstained from animal products for decades. But while activists have cheered the recent growth in vegan awareness, veteran vegans fear it may be a passing fad. Arie Rave, who started the vegan Buddha Burgers restaurant in Tel Aviv eight years ago and is about to open his sixth franchise, said he hopes new adherents take it seriously. “People don’t become vegan in one day,” said Rave, whose restaurants are filled with posters touting veganism’s moral, health and ecological benefits. “It’s not one day or one conversation. It’s not just a menu. It’s an ideology.” Y
The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2015 - Page 31
SHOW SHO OW YYOUR OUR SOL SOLIDARITY LIDARIIT Y
Through Federation, Through Federation, you you stand stand shoulder to to shoulderr with Jews Jews everywhere. everywherre. ael, where Israel, escalate. Europe, where Jews are In Isr where violence violence ccontinues ontinues to to esc alate. In Eur ope, wher e Je ws ar e ffacing acing attacks att acks on n schools and businesses. busine esses. On North American Amerrican college college campuses, campusses, where where Je wish students stu udents are are all ttoo oo oft e enc en ountering a hostile hosstile environment. environment. Jewish often encountering You Y o ou are are standing standing up for for anyy Jewish Je ewish community community in need n of support, protection protection e and solidarity ATE. T VOLUNTEER. VOLUNTEE ER. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DIFFEREN NCE. solidarity.. DONA DONATE.
WWW.JEWISHCHARLOTTE.ORG WWW.J JEWISHCHARL LOTTE.ORG